High on You
by itswallie
Summary: Prompt fill: Dick and Wally accidentally get high; hijinx ensue. Dick's ID and birthday, the beach, Batman Manor!
1. Scooby Snacks

**_Young Justice Anonymous Fan Fiction Meme Prompt Fill: Dick/Wally, drug use_**

_OP: Every teenager needs to get high at least once, am I right? Could be AU where they're not in masked society yet. I'm not picky, anons. Wally, being older, would probably have to teach Dick how one would inhale. They get suspicious looks from Alfred when they keep asking for weird food combinations because EVERYTHING tastes better when you're stoned; which includes your best friend's mouth._

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: _ So a lot of this is based on modified personal experiences. I'm no stranger to drug use in high school, but I in no way endorse or recommend doing drugs. Just be responsible, okay. Also, for my own peace of mind, I had to to make the getting high accidental (Scooby Snacks), I hope that's ok, OP._

_I've gotten a couple of PMs about this, and, yes, I just want to reiterate here that there **IS **KF x Rob slash in the story._

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**_For the purposes of this story, Wally doesn't know Dick's ID. _**

* * *

Miss Martian sat cross-legged on the couch, hunched over her laptop, squinting at her Google results for cookie recipes. She started to click on the usual go-to-_Epicurious-_but a link at the bottom of the page caught her eye.

_Scooby Snacks?_ she thought to herself. M'gann had encountered Scooby Doo when she watched TV, and she loved the cartoon. _That sounds pretty cool … _She skimmed the ingredients.

_Let's see ... flour, oatmeal, sugar, butter and ... marijuana? What's that?_

M'gann frowned thoughtfully.

Her first hit for the term brought her to a website for a "medicinal marijuana" store in Massachusetts: the state had recently legalized the drug for all medicinal and other purposes. The site had a neon logo against a back background with glittering stars and pictures of the plant dotted along the side. It's "About" page had this to say: _Marijuana is a medicinal herb with many health benefits. It used to treat pain, glaucoma, as well as the symptoms of cancer and other illnesses. Some studies show that it can retard the progression of Alzheimer's and certain cancers. We offer the purest and most beneficial form of the herb, and it can be purchased legally in the state of Massachusetts._

_Hmm, so it's good for you?_ she grinned. _I can sneak in some nutrition while they enjoy my cookies! Hello, M'gann! This is perfect!_

Miss Martian popped up and headed toward the bioship. In less than 45 minutes, she was back and had a batch of 16 cookies baking in the oven. Good thing the bioship doesn't pass through state-border customs.

* * *

_Recognized Kid Flash: B03. Recognized Robin: B01._

The compound computer rattled off Wally and Robin's names as they stepped through the portal into Mount Justice's war room.

"_Heelllllo_?" Wally called. "Any gorgeous girls around? The _Wall-man_ has arrived."

Robin rolled his eyes and elbowed Wally in the ribs through his t-shirt. "Do you _ever_ get tired of being annoying?"

Wally just grinned and sauntered over to the wall that had a note adorned with Miss Martian's elaborate, girly cursive.

_Gone grocery shopping in Canada and Japan. Took Superboy to help with bags. Back in a few hours. Love, Miss Martian_

Wally frowned. "Mannnnn," he muttered.

Robin shrugged off his light black jacket. It was really too warm outside for it in the hot Rhode Island summer, even in the evening, but Dick's liked the security. It reminded him of his cape.

"Oh, missed out, dude. Tooooo bad," Robin whistled.

"Whatever. I could've carried bags twice as good as him. And been more fun, too," Wally pouted, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets. He paused and sniffed. "Hey, Robs, do you smell something?"

"Uh, yeah. It kinda smells like brownies or cookies."

Wally flashed to the kitchen in search of the sweet smell. "_Yes_!" he called, the cookie sheet rattling against the counter as he pulled it out of the oven so fast he didn't burn his hands.

Rob joined him and shook his head. "Did she really leave those baking when she left? Woulda been great to burn the place down."

"No big," Wally said through a mouthful of cookie. "I reshcued them! Goo' deed for th' day."

Robin snorted and sampled a doughy, sweet cookie himself. "Her cooking's not half bad when it's not burnt to a crisp." His nose wrinkled as he swallowed. "Kind of a weird aftertaste, isn't there?"

Wally was on his fifth cookie. "Didn' notiche."

Robin dumped the cookies onto a plate, flipped on the faucet, and ran a rag over the cookie sheet in the sink.

"Y' know, Robsh, sumday yur gonna make a real schweet houshwife," Wally said as he tore back into the cookies.

Robin barked a laugh and turned with a biting retort but noticed that his friend was downing cookie number _eight_. "Wally! Don't eat all of them!"

"Wha'? Imma one who schaved them!"

Rob began grabbing cookies off the plate. "I'm not going to let you get to all of these."

"But how will I drown my sharrows? I'm all alonesh."

Robin rolled his eyes behind his glasses at his lovelorn friend and opened a ziplock bag to store the treats. Wally snatched one from his hands.

"DUDE!" Robin objected. Wally grinned and took a bite.

"Th' only way yur gonna keep thoshe from me ish to eat 'em yourself, _dude_," he mocked Robin.

"What."

Wally stole his tenth cookie.

"Stop!" Robin popped one in his mouth. "There is _no way_ I'm letting you do this."

"So stop me," Wally grinned mischievously and swallowed. "I'd like to see you try."


	2. Wii Patrol

Robin tore out of the room eating cookies as fast as he could. He leaped nimbly over the couch in front of the TV, slowing Wally down for _just_ a couple of seconds, but he still lost one and a half more to Wally when he tackled him onto the couch.

"_Nyeh_," Robin said, using a couch cushion as a shield as he stuffed what was left of his current cookie in his mouth and licked another one.

"Gross." Wally pushed himself up off Robin and leaned back into the frayed couch, finishing up cookie eleven-and-a-half. "So waddya wanna do?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno-Oh, yeah! I wanted to show you ..." He headed back toward the war room and flipped on the giant holographic display.

"Check _this _out," he chuckled. With the touch of some buttons on the wall, the opening screen for _Wii Sports_ popped up, floating where the mission stats and world map usually did.

"No way," Wally said appreciatively.

"I figured out how to bypass the security matrix to hook it up. Sweet, huh?" Robin gloated.

Wally grabbed a controller and stood in front of the giant, wrap-around display. "Aweeeeeeeesome."

"Let's bowl." Robin joined Wally, remote in hand.

They were actually very evenly matched at Wii Sports: whenever Wally started going too fast, the controller couldn't keep up, so he struggled to maintain a balance of speed and accuracy. Robin, on the other hand, had fantastic control, and he and Wally split the wins for a couple of rounds. After about 15 minutes, though, Robin started winning, over and over again - in basketball, baseball, and now tennis.

"Whoops!" giggled Wally as another ball flew by.

"What is up with you?" Robin glanced at his friend, frowning. He expected the competitive Wally to glare and say something snarky, but he just had a ridiculous grin plastered on his face.

"Dunno!" he shrugged. "Let's go again."

The music for the next match ticked up, and Wally swung at Robin's volley - _way, way_ too fast. The controller flew through the display across the room and smashed against the wall.

Wally turned to him, mouth wide open in a shocked, giddy expression. "DUDE, I did _NOT _ let go of that. Did you see that?"

Robin barely saw it, but he swore the remote _phased through_ Wally's hands. His friend flitted over to the remote and dissolved into a fit of giggles when he saw that it was totalled.

"We're lucky that display's not solid," groaned Robin.

"Look at this! Look at it!"

Robin jogged over and frowned at the remote before he realized Wally was trying to push his hands into the wall.

"Check it out!" he crowed as they started to sink in. He had gotten almost up to his wrists when he jerked back, holding his nose, which was bleeding profusely. "Aw, mannnnnnnnn."

Normally Robin would want to grab a camera, but something didn't sit right. He plucked a tissue from the rec room. "You shouldn't do that without Flash around," he scolded.

Wally held the tissue to his nose and leaned over Robin, poking him repeatedly in the arm. "You're not my _moooooom_," he dragged out comically.

Robin felt a funny tingling in his bicep, and, looking down, saw Wally's finger tip sink through his shirt. He jumped away, and so did Wally, surprised.

"Oh man, I am so sorry!" he said, squinting at Robin's arm, eyebrows pinched with concern. Robin lifted his short-sleeved green shirt and examined the spot. A minor bruise was forming, but the skin wasn't broken.

"It looks ok," he said. "It only hurt when I jerked back. Prolly just did it too fast."

Wally frowned.

"I'm ok!" assured Robin, pausing for a second. "Feel a little sick to my stomach, though. Kinda dizzy." He punched Wally on the arm lightly . "Why'd you make me eat all those cookies?"

Wally started laughing and laughing, almost bent over double. "I know, right?"

Robin couldn't help but grin back, but he wasn't sure why it was funny.

"Oh, oh! Know what would be awesome?" He stared intently at Robin and trailed off.

"... what?"

"... Let's go on patrol."

Robin groaned. "Ugh, I don't want to do all the way back to Gotham."

Wally shook his head a little too vigorously. "Nonono, not there. Let's do it … _here_."

"Here? Nothing happens in Happy Harbor."

"Duhhhh."

Robin wrinkled his nose. "That's ..." He was having a hard time coming up with a counter-argument.

KF grinned. "Awesome. It's settled."

He flashed away before Rob could say "...wait" ... and smacked straight into the doorjam.

"Ah! DUDE!" Wally laughed, holding back his second bloody nose in under an hour. Robin also started to giggle and stumbled past him to get his spare uniform. In ten minutes, they regrouped at the portal.

Robin snickered at his friend: "You have your goggles on wrong. Here."

He reached up and untwisted the goggles perched cockeyed over KF's forehead.

"Thank-" began Wally, "-OW!"

Robin let the goggles snap back over his eyes and laughed.

"Unnecessary, Robs!" Wally exclaimed. "You ready?"

"Uhm, sure," and before Robin could exhale KF shouldered him piggy back style and ran off.

They were out the door.


	3. Convenient

Wally zoomed along the cliffs above the beach just outside of their secret hideout. The sun had already set; lights popped on in the quaint stores and houses as he careened down the streets toward downtown. Time and sound started coming in disjointed, tumbling chunks like a YouTube video that wouldn't load, or a broken film strip. He slowed down and sped up erratically to try to keep up with it; the scenery jerked by, and Robin kept slipping down his back.

"KF! What the hell are you doing?" Robin yelled as Wally zigged to the side with a sudden burst of speed, just narrowly avoiding the corner of the courthouse in the center of the small city. Wally skidded to a stop, huffing and puffing. He suddenly felt exhausted.

"Dude … hff … Robs … hhh … you need to ... lay off the cookies …"

He unceremoniously dropped Robin on the grass in the park by the town square and collapsed beside him. The pale light from the old-fashioned street lamps dotting the inside of the sidewalk barely illuminated the two boys. Robin lay on his back, arms spread out, eyes closed.

"What's the matter with you? You sick?" Robin drawled. He was having trouble recovering from Wally-the-roller-coaster-ride.

"Not s ... sick," Wally breathed. "I was carrying … a … a fatso on my back. Oh man, I just need to catch my breath."

Robin sat up unsteadily. "We can't just sit here …" he said as he immediately flopped back down.

"Yeah," agreed Wally, "We can't."

They lay on their backs and stared at the sky.

"Pretty stars," murmured Robin.

"Yeah. Nice trees, too."

More staring. Wally's breathing evened out - and his stomach gurgled.

"Hey," Wally finally asked. "You hungry, Robs?"

"_Starving_."

"Awesome."

They struggled to get up and as they wandered aimlessly through the town, the houses became run down: broken windows, lawns littered with weeds, and the occasional busted mailbox that spewed overdue notice letters on the sidewalk.

"Check this out," giggled Robin as he tried to leap frog over the top of a battered, stripped-down Oldsmobile. His foot got caught in the shattered window, and he collapsed on the windshield. "Ooofph."

"Pfffffffffft," Wally snorted.

"Shut up," said Robin. He straightened his cape and stood on the hood. "I found a damn convenience store, anyway," he said as pointed to the street corner beyond the car. "Snacks."

The windows of the Kwik Mart were barred, and the last letter of the red neon sign flickered erratically. It was shabby but open. As he and Robin went in, Wally shaded his eyes in the harsh fluorescent lighting and grinned like the Cheshire cat. Bright orange and blue bags of chips and snacks stuffed the rows and rows metal shelves; they stretched as far as the eye could see.

"It's like a _wonderland_," he squealed. Getting a second wind, Wally started to speed off, but Robin caught him by the wrist and glanced hesitantly around.

"Don't _do that here_," he hissed nervously.

The fat clerk lazing behind a dingy cash register looked up from his newspaper and narrowed his eyes. He shifted his cigar from one side of his mouth to the other. "Hey, you two kids … what's with the costumes? You vigilantes or something?" He put his paper down and crossed his arms, his thin shirt stretching over his flabby biceps. Wally glanced at Robin, who shook his head vigorously: he was worried that it was a Bad Idea to say yes.

In fact, Robin felt more nervous by the minute.

"Uh … nooOOoooOOOooo …" slurred Wally.

"I don't want no trouble. I'm clean, got it? I won't have no League poking around my work. I'm an American with rights."

"Uh … ok," he agreed. The boys shifted uncomfortably and started down the aisles. Wally excitedly filled his arms up with candy bars and chips, getting faster every second. Robin grabbed his wrist again.

"I _said_, stop … stop that," he growled quietly.

"Fine, dude, let go of my arm." Wally weakly tried to shake him off.

"No. You'll just run off."

"Augh," Wally groaned, "Then here. Uh … carry this."

Wally dumped a twenty-liter Mountain Dew in Robin's free arm, along with some Fritos, granola bars (_"I'm healthy, see?"_), three Snickers, some cans of Red Bull, Doritos, Milky Ways, Circus Peanuts, and a suspicious looking ham sandwich. Wally dragged Robin, who was still hanging onto his wrist, back and forth from the counter to the aisles.

"I'm not a dog," he would mumble periodically when Robin's hand-holding would interfere with his ability to grab more food. They kept going until junk food covered the counter from end to end. It looked like it would feed twenty people.

"... you guys going some kind of weird fetish costume party?"

"Er, what?" asked Wally, frowning, "Ew, no."

The clerk shrugged. "If you say so. No judgment here." He rung up the food. "$55.72."

Wally's eyes popped open, and he looked over at Robin.

"Pssst …" he whispered too loudly. "How much do you have on you?"

"What? Me? Like … 99 ... 99% of this is for you!"

"Yeah, but …" Wally patted down his skin-tight lycra costume. "... no pockets."

Robin rubbed his forehead and looked into one of the compartments in his belt. He had a $20 and change - and a Wayne credit card. He briefly considered using the card, but again, a giant Bad Idea warning went off in his head without him really being able to verbalize why.

"I've gotta a $20."

"Ah, mannnnn," whined Wally.

"Half of this goes back on the shelf, kid," growled the clerk.

"Augh," moaned Wally.

Robin snickered. "Sucks to be you."

Each grabbed an armful of snacks and drinks, haphazardly putting things back on the shelves. While a certain section of the magazine selection distracted Wally and Robin carefully placed the Doritos bags in the middle of the Lay's Chips display, the door to the convenience store slammed open with a bang.

"Everybody down on the floor!" shouted a burly man in a ski mask. His glock was clearly visible, even across the store. Robin and Wally hit the deck, sodas and candy bars littering the floor around them.

"SWEET!" whispered Wally. He scuttled on hands and knees down the aisle toward the the counter.

"Open that cash register, fast," said the robber, gun pointed at the clerk's balding head. The clerk broke into a sweat as he pretended to fiddle with the register. "_FASTER!_"

Robin caught up with Wally, who crouched on the floor, peeking out from the end of the aisle. He watched the man intently while chewing on a Snickers bar.

"We c'n toltly tak' 'im," said Wally through the candy. He swallowed.

"Hold this." He passed the second half of the open Snickers bar to Robin. "I'm going."

"Ugh .. wai-"

But Wally had already dashed out from behind the aisle toward the counter … and straight into an end cap. Cans of baked beans and sodas spilled across the floor as Wally faceplanted underneath the red wire unit. The robber whirled around and stared in shock at the boy in spandex at his feet. His eyes narrowed behind the mask, and he pointed the gun at Wally's head.

"Oh, think you're some kind of hero, punk?" He glowered. "Maybe a bullet will change your mind."


	4. GPS

Robin's heart pounded in his chest as the burglar headed toward Wally prone on the floor. In the recesses of his rational mind, he doubted Wally could dodge a bullet point blank right now.

_Crap, crap, crap_. He tried to clear his fuzzy head as he groped blindly through his belt for a batarang, some tripping wire, hand lotion, _anything_. He scrambled to get up and stumbled over the cans, accidentally kicking some towards the counter.

One was a lucky roll.

As the crook strode toward Wally, gun cocked, his heel hit on the can, and he flew backwards, slamming his head on the edge of the white linoleum counter top. He crashed to the ground unconscious, leaning against a giant red and white _We Check ID _sign tacked to the front of the wooden base. Green Tic Tacs from a nearby display he'd hit on the way down spilled into his lap.

Wally had already recovered and painted a blur through out the store as he tied him up with a long silver phone cord he'd borrowed from the wall behind the counter and the land-line phone. As an added touch, he grabbed a Granny Smith apple, placed it between the burglar's teeth, and brushed his hands together in triumph. The clerk stared at the two boys, mouth agape.

"See, toldya we could take 'im," Wally grinned, hands on hips.

Robin's heart was still throbbing unnaturally. "_KF you _-"

The clerk cut him off. "Yo-you two brats _ARE _part of them Justice League, ain'cha?" he said with a worried look on his face.

Wally saluted him with two fingers and took a graceless bow. "All in a day's work, dude."

"Who - who are you, that Flash Boy or something?"

"That's KI-"

Robin held back an angry Wally. "Let's just get out of here."

"Look, I don't care, you guys …" The clerk's arm swept over the food. "Just … take it. On the house, ok? All of it - whatever you want."

"YESSSSSSSSSSSS," crowed Wally. He grabbed a couple of plastic bags and stuffed them full in seconds.

"See, I knew we should have just told him who he were," he said to Robin smugly. "Being a hero comes with perks, Robin, and you gotta take advantage of that."

"Don't tell him my _name_!" said Robin.

"Whatever. Am I rite or amirite?" He tossed the bags to Robin and stuffed two more.

"That's enough," groaned the Boy Wonder.

"Nah, uh … it's ok," said the clerk. "You just be sure to tell the Justice League I was nice to you, got it? I'm your friend, ok?"

"Shure," said Wally, downing some Pringles. Robin grabbed him and dragged him out the door into the cool air.

"You could have gotten killed back there, idiot!" shouted Robin.

"Nahhh," said Wally, opening up the can of Red Bull. "I'da just let the bullet phase through me. I can do that now."

Robin stared at him incredulously. "Are you _HIGH_?" he yelled.

Wally was to busy chugging the drink to answer. Robin wrinkled his brow as the thought occurred to him that they may in fact _be _high, but it quickly slipped away: _how in the world would we have gotten high?_ Wally was just being a spaz.

"Just come on." Robin stalked off.

They strolled quietly through the streets for a bit; the houses improved and the breeze picked up.

"Oh GOD, this stuff is _GREAT_," Wally moaned as he polished off the first bag of stale Circus Peanuts. "You gotta try these."

Robin wrinkled his nose dubiously at the orange candy, but he'd forgotten how hungry he was in the excitement of the robbery. He took half a bite. It was delicious ... and Robin was _famished_.

"Gimme some more." Robin reached for the second bag as Wally played keep away.

"Nuh uh, say the magic wooorrds," he teased.

"I'll kick you in the nuts." Robin responded flatly.

"... What?" Wally wheezed as he doubled over with laughter. Robin grabbed the second bag from his hand. _That worked_.

Wally quickly replaced the Circus Peanuts with some Gummi Bears. "Seriously, these are way better than I remember."

"Yeah," Robin conceded, and he dug in his own bag and pulled out a Pay Day. Usually he didn't have much of a sweet tooth, but after inhaling the candy, he popped open a Sprite.

"Uhhm …" said Robin, between sips. "Is this the way back to Mount Justice?"

Wally shrugged. "I dunno," he said. His bags were almost empty as he finished off the Mountain Dew. "Ahhh, I feel so much better, Rob. Don't you feel better? I feel pretty awesome right now. In fact, I feel really awesome."

Robin was not feeling that awesome, and he ran his fingers over his belt and uniform, compulsively taking inventory, trying to figure out what was off.

... There it was. Or, rather, _wasn't_.

"Augh, I left my computer back at Mount Justice!" he moaned, massaging his left wrist anxiously. "I feel sort of … naked without it."

He whipped out his cell phone, trying to figure out where they were, and after the fifth time he hit the wrong buttons and had to start over, he seethed. "_Dammit_, what is _wrong_ with tonight? Everything's weird."

"No worries, Robs. Here, have a bite of the granola bar." Wally unwrapped it for him and held the bar out, and Robin distractedly took a bite, still concentrating on the phone. Wally was left with half the bar still in his hand.

"Uh … aren't you going to take it?"

Robin continued to punch away at the touch screen. "Busy. Thish ish importan'."

"So … are you going to finish this?"

Rob nodded his head and took another bite from the bar in Wally's outstretched hand, eyes never totally leaving the screen. Wally wrinkled his nose. "Are you saying you want me to feed you?"

Robin shrugged, preoccupied. "I guessh. You mind?"

"Uhhh …" Wally couldn't really mount a response. A little lump rose in his throat. Robin pulled the last piece of the bar from the wrapper with his teeth and returned to his task.

"Shanks," he said absently.

Wally stared for a second at the empty granola wrapper and then scurried quickly away to a nearby trash can.

"I think we're heading toward the coast … " Robin cocked his phone sideways and upside down, trying to make heads or tails of the display. He trailed behind Wally as he squinted at the GPS and tried to get a good signal.

Wally finished off the sandwich and his third Red Bull, and his bags joined the wrapper in the trash can. "Mmmmm... delish," he said appreciatively, as he stretched his hands over his head, walking meditatively ahead, twisting side to side, and doing light calisthenics. He frowned and suddenly came to a full stop.

Robin, distracted by his beeping phone, slammed into him from behind. Wally spun around and looked at Robin nervously.

"Robs. Rob."

"... What?"

Wally placed a hand on each of Robin's shoulders and stared at him. "Robin, something's changed. I have to tell you."

Robin's heart started thumping. Wally was being uncomfortably intense, and his hands were trembling a little on his shoulders. "Uhm … what?"

"I think … I think I feel …"

"... you think you feel what?" Robin said, starting to flush. He felt strangely dizzy. Wally leaned in closer.

"... I think I feel …" Wally whispered "... FULL."

Robin exhaled. He hadn't even known he was holding his breath. "You're weird."

"No, really," Wally whispered, a desperate note to his voice. "Maybe my metabolism's slowing down!" He backed away and put his hands dramatically to his forehead. "Oh, no, I'm getting old! Did this happen to the Flash? I never feel full! I'll get fat! And maybe slow!" He stared at Robin, terrified, as part of the evening caught up with him. "ROBIN! Have I been _SLOW _tonight?"

Robin rolled his eyes. "I don't even know. Just … uhm … eat less food; it's not a big deal."

Wally's face crumbled. "... nooooooooooo …"

"Look, you'll be fine. We just have to get back. Ok? I really feel like we just need to get back." Robin tapped his foot.

"Yeah," said Wally, depressed. He drug his feet as he and Robin headed in what Robin hoped was the right direction.

A light breeze washed over them; it smelt like salt and sand and ocean. Wally was instantly distracted from his woes. "DUDE! It's the beach!"

He scooped Robin up into his arms, bridal style, and ran in the direction of the smell.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH_," was all Robin had to offer as he clung to the remaining bags of food in his lap, and Wally whisked him toward the shore.


	5. Caped Crusaders

"There!" cried Wally as he spotted some rickety stairs to the beach. He skidded to a stop, slipping and stumbling over the loose gravel at the top of the cliff. As he slid past the steps, he landed on his ass, with Robin and the remaining bags of food in his lap. "UNF!"

"Uh, whoops," he apologized. "Ow, my butt."

Wally pushed Robin off and stood up, brushing away the sharp pebbles and dust clinging to his costume.

Robin's head was spinning. "Yeah ... think … walk on my own now."

He pulled himself carefully to his feet. "Wait, weren't we going somewhere?"

"Yeeeesss ... the _beach_!"

"Hmm …" said Robin, doubtful, but in the cool breeze he felt lightheaded and happy.

He grinned. "Sweet."

The three Red Bulls and two Mountain Dews Wally drank were kicking in along with the cookies. Wally zipped down the wooden stairs, falling halfway through and tumbling down the rest of the way. He landed with a thud in the silver sand at the bottom, but immediately popped back up laughing.

"Man, what is _UP _with those stairs?"

Robin sat on the rickety metal railing and slid down after him, giggling his trademark laugh and juggling the bags in his outstretched hands. He, too, eventually toppled off, back into the vegetation growing on the slope to the shore. One bag busted open, spilling their sodas and candy bars into the weeds. He snickered as he gathered as many snacks as he could and hopped down the rest of the hill, wading through the prickly brush. When he got to the bottom, Wally was running in haphazard circles around the beach.

"wwwwwww _WWWHHHHHHHHHEEEEEE_ eeeeeeeee!" he called each time he whizzed clumsily past Robin. Robin carefully stepped forward, trying to time his journey past Wally so that the speedster didn't run into him. He barely missed being trampled underfoot as he stepped into the middle of Wally's circle. Robin lazily plopped down in the center of the beach with a contented sigh and pulled out one of the remaining Doritos bags. The ocean, a deep blue in the night sky, rolled gently toward his feet. A boardwalk extended out over the waves, and white foam licked at its wooden posts. The tide receded with each wave.

He felt strangely serene in the light of the three-quarters moon and happily nibbled on another chip, philosophically regarding the night sky. A gentle warmth emanated from Robin's chest, spreading to his limbs, which were tingling slightly. He could hear his friend ten yards away, laughing and spinning in circles. He popped another chip in his mouth and smiled to himself. Somehow, life was really, _really_ good. A light breeze blew by.

And suddenly he was cold.

"What the …?"

His cape had disappeared. Robin jumped to his feet, panicked and stumbling as the sand gave way beneath him. He looked behind him: _had it fallen off?_

But no, Wally was half-way across the beach, draping the cape he'd nabbed across his shoulders. He jumped up and down, holding onto the corners and flapping his arms like wings.

"WALLY," Robin yelled, running unsteadily toward the red headed lunatic. "DON'T STEAL MY CLOTHES."

Wally just laughed and danced around him. "I am … the NIIIIGHT," he crooned in a creepy voice. "I am the MOOOONNN. I am …."

Wally paused for dramatic effect as Robin grabbed fruitlessly for the cape. Wally drew half of it in front of his face in a vampire pose.

"...BATMAN." He collapsed in a fit of giggles, rolling around in the sand.

"'You are the moon?' What the hell. Give that back," whined Robin, tugging hard on one corner of the cape. "It's cold."

Wally rolled up to a sitting position, tears of laughter streaming from his eyes.

"Here you go, dude," he said, pretending to hold the cape out for Robin and snatching it away at the last second.

"ARG. I will KILL YOU."

"Nah," Wally assured Robin. "You won't."

"Oh yeah?" he grinned, happy to take on his friend. He feinted to the left and dove to the right as Wally popped up and darted around Robin.

"Ack!" Wally screeched as he just barely twisted the cape out of the way like a matador's red flag, dodging Robin's relatively nimble grabs for the black fabric. Wally was having a really hard time out-maneuvering Robin, who gracelessly somersaulted under the cape and aimed for Wally's legs. Wally felt Robin's hand on one ankle, and he barely escaped a faceplant in the sand.

He shook Robin off and dashed away. Robin grabbed a tripping wire from his belt and flung it after Wally. It was a clumsy throw, but Wally was scrambling for a good foothold, and the wire wrapped around his legs just above his knees.

"UNF!" He fell forward on top of the cape and trapped it under his torso. As Robin lunged for the fabric, Wally spread out his arms, pinning it to the beach, and when he grabbed a corner and pulled as hard as he could, Wally just came with the cape as it slid across the sand. Robin grasped one side of the cape with both hands and, planting a foot on Wally's ribs, pushed hard, trying to roll him off it. This was not working out.

Robin sat back into a crouch. Wally was too heavy, and he felt mysteriously _wiped_ after the light exertion.

"Ugh," complained Robin.

Wally lifted his calves and feet, crossing his ankles and propping his head up with both hands under his chin. He grinned and batted his eyes in a rather successful attempt to look cute.

"So," Wally negotiated, still spitting out the sand he'd swallowed on the way down, "How about this? You hold reeeeeeallll still, and I'll put it back on."

"No. Tell _you _what," snapped Robin, tugging again from his sitting position. "_You _hold real still, and I'll get that wire from around your knees."

"Oh, that?" snarked Wally. "That's not a problem."

"Really, now."

Wally took a breath and closed his eyes. Still on his stomach, he balled his hands into fists and vibrated his legs. Nothing.

"Dammit," he whined.

"Ready to take me up on my offer?" said Robin magnanimously.

"No," pouted Wally, scrunching up his face one more time in concentration. No dice.

"You sure about that?"

"_Dammit_." Wally flopped his legs and head down on the sand in defeat, and he went totally slack. His right knee popped free of the wire.

They both sat in shock for a moment.

"Yes …" whispered Wally, reaching for his face.

"Not even a nosebleed," said Robin, staring.

Wally jumped up, the silver wire pooling loosely around his other foot. He was flushed with a quiet joy as he grabbed the cape off the sand, shaking it out.

"Uh … Hold still, dude. I'm sorry. I'll put it back on." Wally knelt in front Robin, so close he could feel uneven puffs of air on his cheeks as his friend caught his breath. Robin looked Wally in the eyes, his lips parted just a bit as he exhaled, and smiled slightly. The moonlight reflected off his smooth black hair, and it looked very soft. Wally swept the cape over Robin's head and loosely fastened it around his neck.

Robin let out an annoyed little sound. "You did it wrong."

Robin dropped his head to fix the clasp and felt a warm pressure at his temples.

… and his mask was gone.


	6. Mask

**_Hello again! Thanks as always for the nice comments and favs and all that. I have been doling out little previews ... are they good? I'm not as far into the next chapter as I was into this one, so I won't be able to do the preview thing as quickly, but I'll definitely do it if you want! :) _**

* * *

Robin's hands flew to his face, covering his eyes. His stomach dropped and his heart banged in his chest. He could barely think. The giant _Bad Idea_ warning sign had flipped on brightly.

_I am so dead, I am so dead, I am so dead_. He panicked as he peeked through his fingers to find Wally across the beach, waving the mask like a flag.

"This isn't funny!" Robin called.

"Are you sure?" taunted Wally. He ran closer to the smaller boy, who kept one hand over his eyes and groped blindly for the mask as his friend danced by.

"Did you freaking PLAN that?" shouted Robin.

"Pffffft," Wally snorted. He couldn't plan much of anything right now.

Robin caught Wally's elbow, but the speedster wiggled away and dashed toward the ocean. Robin dropped his hands from his face and bolted after him. Wally sprinted out over the water, just next to the pier, and Robin followed not far behind, boots pounding along the boardwalk. Wally wasn't able to maintain proper surface tension for long, and by the end of the pier he'd started to sink. Robin used the opportunity to catch up and leap-frogged over one of the wooden poles at the end of the wooden boardwalk right onto Wally.

"GUFGD!" Wally gasped and splashed below the surface as the Boy Wonder hit him full force in the chest. Robin caught one foot on Wally's hip and propped his other knee on Wally's opposite shoulder, grabbing for the mask in his outstretched hand. Wally twisted his other elbow around the front of Robin's red shirt and brought his hand to the side of Robin's face, pushing his head away. Robin grabbed the top of Wally's head for balance and reached over, the mask just eluding his finger tips.

"Augh! Get your … _gasp _… out of … m'_glug ... _face!" he complained. Wally kicked as hard as he could, but he couldn't keep them above the waves.

"Gimme the … _gasp _… mask!

"Stop … _gasp _… climbing … all … _gasp _… over me, Monkey … Boy! I … _glug _… can't see!"

"That's the … _glug _… FREAKING … _gasp _… POINT!"

Wally shut his eyes and ducked completely underwater, grabbing Robin's legs and pushing them above and over his head. Robin clung to one of Wally's earcups as Wally dove and squirmed away from him. There was a ripping sound, and the earcup slipped from Robin's glove as Wally still swam for the beach. Wally lunged for the shore, slapping uselessly at the waves as he tried to keep the mask out of Robin's hands and get back to dry land. Robin tackled him around the waist, but Wally's wet lycra costume made him hard to hang onto, and Wally washed up onto the shore on his hands and knees.

Robin's soaked, heavy cape slowed him down as he staggered out of the water, one hand over his eyes again. Wally had already made it to the the other side of beach and was scrambling for purchase up the side of the cliff. He grabbed for a bristly tree and pulled himself up onto a tiny ledge. One earcup flapped ridiculously at his cheek as he turned and looked down over Robin.

Robin followed him to the bottom of the cliff. He didn't have the momentum Wally had to propel himself up the almost vertical slope, and he certainly couldn't do it with only one hand. Robin dug awkwardly through the left side of his belt with his right hand for a grappling hook, but when he shot it up the cliff, Wally just batted it away, laughing. He tried again, and this time it hit, but the dirt was too loose, and when he clicked the retractor it slammed back toward him instead of pulling him up.

"Rrrrr," Robin growled.

"Robs!" called Wally. "Tell me your name!"

"What? No way!"

"I think I have something you _waaaant_," smiled Wally, shaking the mask.

"No." Robin fruitlessly tried to scale the cliff again, slipping back to the beach on his butt. "I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you."

Robin dug through the other side of his belt and hurled a batarang in Wally's direction. Wally dodged out of the way.

"I can do this all night!" Wally assured Robin. The next batarang exploded.

"Augh!" Wally clung to the tiny tree beside him. "Is this _really _worth killing me over?"

"Oops," said Robin. "Wrong pocket."

"Uh …" responded Wally.

"Kinda hard to … see right now … and uh, stuff." Robin said, peeking through his fingers. "Sorry."

And Robin _was _sorry. He _wanted _to tell Wally his name. He'd wanted to for a long time. The Bad Idea sign in his head was still lit, but he didn't like it.

"Come on, Rob. I'm your friend," Wally said seriously, with a slightly pleading note in his voice.

Robin was having a hard time remembering why it was such a big deal that he couldn't tell Wally his name.

"Look," Robin, "I'm soaked, I'm tired, I can't … I can't really think straight, and I just want to go home."

Wally dangled the mask in over the side of the cliff. "Then say the magic words!"

"Pretty please?" said Robin hopefully.

"That's not them! They begin with your first name and end with your last." Wally smiled brightly, genuinely.

Robin sighed, shivering slightly in the chill ocean air. He was feeling woozier by the minute; he _really _wanted to go home, and, frankly, the Bad Idea sign was beginning to flicker off.

"Fine. It's Dick."

"What?"

"It's Dick."

Wally giggled, "Dude, that's not funny. Tell me your name."

"IT'S DICK!"

Wally doubled over with laughter. "Seriously, stop screwing with me, dude."

"It's Richard Grayson, dammit! Now give me my mask."

"Are you serious?"

"YES. Drop the mask!"

"Nuh, uh," Wally said, milking this for all it was worth. "Lemme see your face, dark glasses!"

"Wallace _RUDOLPH _West, if you don't drop that mask _right now_, it will be _CHRISTMAS. every. day._ for the _rest. of. the. year_."

Wally paled slightly. "Fine, fine. Geeze."

He let the mask flutter from his hands to the sand and scurried down the slope behind it, while Robin walked over to pick it up. He started to put it on when Wally was suddenly ducking under his face, trying to get a glimpse of his friend. Robin slammed the mask on, but Wally grinned.

"Gotcha!" he called.

It was a total lie - he hadn't quite made it in time. He still squinted hard at Robin through the mask, trying to make out the color of his eyes in the dim moonlight.

"I am so dead," mumbled Robin. He checked the time on his waterproof phone. The readout said 10:15.

_It's only 10:15?_ It felt like it had been lifetimes since he and KF left the hideout around nine. He tried to retrace their steps that night, but the memories were broken, and he couldn't get them in order. He was tired and feeling stranger and stranger.

Wally was fiddling with the earcup half torn off his suit. "Look what you did to me, bro. Aunt Iris will never forgive me."

"I'm going home."

Wally sighed and put his hands on his hips. "Well, I guess it's back to Mount Justice."

"No," said Robin as he stumbled toward the bottom of the cliff. "I'm going _home _home."

"Back to Gotham?"

"Yeah." He started up the rickety stairs.

Wally zoomed in front of him. "Awesome! Can I come!"

"... What?"

"It'll be great! We can have a sleepover! I've always wanted to see Rob - Dick's - your place!"

Robin knitted his brows and frowned at his friend. The Bad Idea sign was back in full force.

"Come on, _pleeeaase_?" begged Wally with puppy dog eyes. "I already know your name!"

Robin frowned more deeply, trying to sort out his feelings.

He actually felt _better_ now that he had told Wally his name; it was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. But he _shouldn't_ feel that way. _Why?_

"I've seen your face, dude!" Wally lied again. "It's only a matter of time before I figure out where you live by myself."

_That's probably … true_, thought Robin.

"I mean, you come visit me all the time. It's normal for me to go over to your place, right? Quid pro quo and all that."

_It is … normal to have friends over, right? What would be wrong with that?_ He couldn't remember the last time he had a friend over. _Have I EVER had a friend over?_ That wasn't fair.

Robin's thinking was hazy, and the Bad Idea sign was flickering like a dying light bulb. _My life shouldn't be that weird._

Wally threw one arm around Robin's shoulders and gave him a bro hug. Robin tilted unsteadily as Wally drew him toward his chest. Wally was soaking but very warm in the chill breeze.

"We can watch movies and make popcorn … and … _wow _am I hungry. Are you hungry?"

_Hadn't they already eaten a lot?_ Robin struggled to remember. _Like … Circus Peanuts and Sprite? And ..._

"Didn't you say you were full?" he asked Wally.

"Pffft. What? I would never say that," he giggled. "That's insane."

_Yeah …_ Robin frowned again.

"Come on," said Wally. "We'll have an awesome time."

"Yeah …okay," replied Robin. "We will."

_It'll be really fun. And just fine_. Robin smiled.

And the Bad Idea sign flickered totally off with a _bzzzt_.


	7. Underground

**_So I had no idea that it was Dick's birthday today! While I won't finish this right now, I'm totally working that in, and it will actually make things much better in the end. _**

_I'm sorry that I haven't sent out any spoilers for this chapter! I actually pounded out the whole thing today, and it's kind of a "transition" chapter so nothing that exciting happens. I will definitely do so for the next chapters, because uh ... yeah. Bits and pieces of them are written, and some of those are really cool. Hard to find stuff that won't ruin tension later though, I must admit. :) _

_If you don't want any previews, or even if you do, just mention it. No need to review, just PM me, that's fine - I'm not trolling for reviews! :) (Though uh ... they sure are really encouraging). _

_A thank you to Jemand for reminding me that Robin should notice something was up with their eyes (pot makes your eyes bloodshot). :) _

* * *

Robin and Wally stumbled up to the top of the stairs at the beach.

"Man, do you feel weird, KF?" asked Robin. "I must be getting sick. So tired."

"Yeah, summthin'." Wally turned his back to Robin. "Upsy daisy, dude," he said, indicating that Robin could hop on.

Robin grabbed Wally's shoulders, but his muscles had turned to jelly, and he kept slipping of Wally's hips, despite the speedster's efforts to catch his knees and hold him up.

"Whassa the matter with you?" Wally said. He had also worn himself out running around the beach, and the caffeine in the energy drinks he'd downed was long gone. Wally sighed and crouched down, and Robin leap-frogged onto him. He finally straddled his back and looped his arms around his friend's yellow neck, but as soon as Wally stood up, though, Robin tilted precariously backward and his forearms slipped tight around Wally's throat, choking him.

"_Gacckkk_!" cried Wally as he stumbled backwards. Robin, still trying to hang onto the speedster, slipped his arms down around Wally's chest, inadvertently pinning Wally's arms to his sides. Robin dropped his legs in defeat, but he didn't let go of his friend.

"Uhh …" stuttered Wally, gently extracting himself from Robs' accidental hug. "Ok, one last try."

Wally scooped Robin up in his arms in front of him and jogged down the road.

"Nonono," Robin slurred. "Oh, man, you make me dizzy."

"Sorry. Maybe we are getting sick."

Robin blearily dragged his phone from his belt and pointed down the road.

"Subway."

"... what?"

"Subway's this way."

"Kid Flash does _NOT _take the subway, Robs."

"So you feel like running to my house alone?"

"I don't even know where …"

Robin shrugged. "Subway."

Wally drooped and pouted and kicked at gravel and bitched and moaned all the way to the station.

By the time they'd gotten there, though, the leisurely stroll had perked him up a bit - as well as the Ding Dongs and Lay's Potato Chips Wally had picked up for himself, and Robin had paid for. So, once they'd gotten to the station doors, Wally and Rob stumbled through giggling. The Happy Harbor Beech Street station was almost completely deserted at 10:30 pm, and the middle-aged ticket agent dozed behind the window, her hands propping up her head.

Wally eyed the turnstiles, a row of three of them between the walls of the station. "Check this out," he said. He pushed Robin to the side, and backed up as far as he could.

"Wha … what are you doing?"

"Phasing _throuuuu_ -" he shouted as he took off as he fast as could.

The blood drained from Robin's face as he watched his friend aim for the waist-high turnstile bars at the speed of sound. Rob felt a wave of panic and disorientation, and his friend's progress appeared in bits and pieces: one second he was a third of the way there, the next half-way, then three-quarters, then -

"ASUSUDFHJDSHHGGDDD!" Wally slammed into the bar just above his hips, spun beneath it, and landed with a thud on his back. "Ooooaoasshhiuuuukkggg," he moaned as he curled into a fetal position for a minute.

The bang startled the agent awake, and both she and Robin stared incredulously at the writhing boy on the floor. Wally pulled himself to his hands and knees.

"I'm … I'm ok," he said, panting and holding up a hand. "Just … just …"

He had crawled pathetically to the subway-side of the turnstile and pulled himself to his feet. "Just let me catch my …"

Robin jogged over and inspected the turnstile bar. It was a little worse for wear with kind of a wrinkly dent along one side, but it still worked.

"Way to ... get your ... priorities straight, Robin," Wally moaned as he clutched his stomach.

"Ahem." The agent cleared her throat. "You boys going to pay?"

"Uh, sure," said Wally unsteadily, still leaning over the turnstile box.

"Did ..." Wally panted, "has … anyone …. ever … told you … how … beautiful you are?" He tried to grin charmingly and immediately grimaced in pain. Robin shot Wally a sharp glance and fumbled through his belt. The agent narrowed her eyes and grabbed the change Robin had handed her.

"Next time, KF, we're going dutch," Robin complained.

The agent counted out two fares, handed Robin two tickets, and turned to the yellow and red boy. "You know, kid, if you'd been two inches taller, it wouldn't have mattered how beautiful I was."

* * *

Ten minutes later, still waiting for the train, Robin frowned at his friend, still curled up in a ball on the subway bench while they waited for the next train.

"Shouldn't you be healed by now?" he said, concerned.

"Yeah … I guess," wheezed Wally, as alternating waves of sensation and numbness washed over him. "It's taking … longer … but it's getting. Better."

The train whirred into the station. Robin hooked Wally's arm over his shoulders and helped him limp onto the Gotham Express car before the doors snapped shut behind them. Wally sprawled in the handicapped seats, holding his stomach and whining, while Robin grabbed a strap and stood over him. He squinted at Wally's eyes.

"Hey, did you … did you get sand in your eyes?" he asked.

"Whaa...? No?" Wally rolled his eyes up toward his friend. They were bloodshot around the edges.

Robin cupped his friend's face. "Or did that happen when you hit the turnstile?"

Wally batted Rob's hand away and dragged himself to the window. He pulled down one eyelid to reveal thin red lines snaking to his bright green iris. "Freaky."

"Hmm." Robin felt, somehow, that this was significant, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. The rocking of the train was lulling him to sleep. He slipped into the seat next to Wally, laid his head on his friend's shoulder, and passed out.

In what seemed like an instant later, Wally was elbowing him in the ribs. "Psst. Rob. Robs. Gotham Central. Do we get off here?"

Wally, apparently recovered, was twitching nervously, his left foot bouncing up and down so fast it was threatening to drill through the floor.

"Nooope," mumbled Robin. "Three stops to go." He leaned back onto Wally's shoulder only to have it slip out from under him.

"Augh." Wally rolled his head back and fell forward, face in his hands. "We've been on this thing for at least three hours."

Robin checked his watch. Fifteen minutes. "Feeling better?" he drawled.

"No." Wally got up and paced around. A couple of girls got on at the Wayne Tower stop and eyed the two of them in their "costumes" warily.

"Fanboys," one snarked at them as she moved onto the next car.

"What!" Wally started after them, "I'll show you fan-"

Robin grabbed him. "No. Do I have to put a leash on you?"

Wally glared and sat down. "I hate this place."

Another stop passed as Wally pouted at the floor in silence, and Robin rubbed his eyes blearily.

"We're here, ok?" Robin said as the train rolled into Manor Ct. station. Robin swished his cape behind him and walked off the train. Wally followed him, stretching carefully and prodding at his ribs and hips.

"Owowow." When he got to the exit turnstile he gingerly pushed it forward, sliding every which way to avoid touching it with any part of himself but his fingertips. Robin laughed at him.

"Dork," he grinned as he made his way up the stairs in the cool night air. Just past 11:00pm. Wally joined Robin as he crossed the street toward Wayne Manor.

"Well, here we are," said Robin, hands on hips. The chill of the night air brought with it a temporary clear-headedness. He was feeling great: light and devil-may-care. Maybe part of him knew Wally wasn't exactly supposed to be there, but maybe part of him thrilled at the challenge of getting him in and out without anyone knowing. He deserved this.

Wally wrinkled his brows as he looked at the building, bothered by the feeling that he'd seen this place before, like in a magazine or something, and he should know what it is. He couldn't place it, though, and he gave Robin the side eye. "Why are you dragging me to some old museum or something?"

Robin laughed. "It's not a museum, dude. This way."

He led Wally just past one of the stone corners and pushed at a section of the blocks. The wall slid inward, and Robin ducked under and behind the row of bushes growing closest to the stone fence. He started crawling along the edge.

"Get down. We can avoid the security cameras this way."

"Uh … Rob?" said Wally, weirded out. "If this is your house … why are we breaking and entering?"


	8. Breaking and Entering

**Yay! Update! I'm in the editing stage of the next chapter, and almost done writing the one after, so I'll be happy to pass out previews to everyone! Whee! The house description is half based on stuff from a house that a friend of mine lives in ... it is reaaaally sweet, though not so old-fashioned. Anyway, my point is that rich people have carpeted bathrooms.**

* * *

"We're not breaking and entering," said Rob as he crawled along the wall, Wally lagging not far behind. "I just have to do one thing."

"Dude, is this some sort of sick excuse to wiggle your butt in my face for ten minutes?"

Rob kicked backwards with one foot and caught Wally on the shoulder. "Perv."

"Ow! You should be so lucky."

Robin rolled his eyes as they came to the other corner of the garden. He instinctively reached for his wrist console now that he was in range to shut down external and internal cameras … but it wasn't there.

"..." Robin stared at his wrist.

He turned toward Wally. "Wait here."

Robin's breaths came shallow and fast as he scurried away. _Crapcrapcrap_. _How could he have forgotten that he left it at Mount Justice? How in the hell could that have slipped his mind?_

He gingerly slipped into an open air vent at the back of the house that led down to the Batcave. He crawled as quietly as he could (_not very quietly_) and kept as calm as he could (_not very calm_). As he reached the first junction, he peeked through the grating. _No Batmobile._ He exhaled in relief. _He wasn't home._ Robin squirmed backwards the way he came until he reached Wally sitting back on his ankles behind the bushes.

"What day of the week is it?" Robin asked his bright yellow friend. "And geezus turn that thing off!" He punched Wally in his insignia to no effect.

"GAWD, OW!" hissed Wally. "This is just my regular lycra one! I didn't know we'd be doing secret ops to get into your damn house! Are you sure we're not actually stealing some giant diamond or something? I'm not down with that."

"Of course not," Robin hissed back. "Just … just what … was I?"

"It's Saturday."

"Huh?"

"You asked what day of the week it was? _How are you even functioning_?"

Robin remembered. _Right! He'll be out all night tonight on monitor duty with the Justice League. That's why I knew it was ok. Right._

"Right. Ok. It's ok." He dropped his face into his hands, relieved. Robin squinted into space, a little disturbed that he'd dragged Wally all the way here when he hadn't even been able to hang onto that crucial bit of information the whole time. _Well, too late now. And ... and ... I'll take care of the other thing … I was about to do … tomorrow._

"It's ok. Now we just avoid Alf," Robin reassured himself again.

"Alf? The alien on that ancient TV show?"

"Noooooooooo. Ugh. Follow me." Robin shimmied up the nearest tree. "I just want out of these damn clothes."

Robin jimmied open his window as Wally crowded behind him on the tree branch.

"Robin, Robs, seriously, this is weird. I feel like I should be throwing rocks at your window and sneaking in because you're grounded. How crazy are your parents anyway?"

Robin paused and regarded Wally seriously. _My parents?_

It dawned on him_. Jeezus, he doesn't even know._ _How would he know?_ Robin frowned. _That's not ... not fair. Or normal. Screw it. I'm being normal tonight … as normal as I can be._

"Shh, just come."

Wally and Robin scrambled through the window, and Wally whistled. "This … this room is like bigger than my living room."

He ran his hand over the impossibly soft red and white striped down comforter on Dick's bed. A dozen decorative pillows were piled high in front of the ornate brass and oak headboard, and expensive lamps sat on his bedside tables. Robin dug through an antique armoire as Wally wandered over to a giant glass trophy case in the corner. It was loaded with ribbons and trophies: academics, gymnastics, track. Wally felt a twinge of jealousy. He wasn't allowed to use his powers to win anything remotely athletic. Then he noticed a lot of them were second - and even third - place. He knew Robin could take all those kids down in his sleep. Wally wondered if pretending to come in second wouldn't drive him crazier than not entering events at all.

At any rate, each award went to "Richard Grayson," and Wally exhaled in relief.

_Well, thank God Rob's not secretly a cat burglar._

In fact, Dick's name, like the house itself, also seemed familiar, but it was lost in time and his currently hazy memory. Wally paused over one recent trophy.

"... mathlete?" said Wally.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "What of it, nerd?"

Wally held up his hands defensively.

"Nothing, nothing! All my respect," he said seriously, thinking of his own shelves adorned with a science awards. He plopped down on the plush king-sized bed.

"Don't sit there. You're filthy," scolded Robin.

Wally ignored him. "You know, Robs, this explains a lot."

"What?" Robin grimaced.

"Why you're such a spoiled brat," Wally grinned.

Robin threw some towels, pj pants, and a t-shirt in Wally's face.

"Hit the showers, idiot," he said, pointing to a door on the far wall.

Wally peeked into the bathroom. "... CARPET?"

Robin sighed. "It's specially treated."

Wally put the towels on the giant marble counter of the double sink as he stepped into the showers, grumbling to himself, "So where's the damn glass elevator?"

"West wing!" called Robin.

"... what?"

"Kidding, kidding."

* * *

Wally flipped on the shower _with an actual temperature dial_ and set it to 65 degrees. His high metabolism naturally made him a little on the warm side, so he preferred a cool shower. He popped back out almost immediately, dressed and toweling off his short ginger hair.

Robin wrinkled his nose: "Are you even clean?"

"Yeeeeessss. Hello, super speed."

"Uh …" said Robin as he regarded the yellow pj pants and red shirt he'd given his friend. "I guess you're a little … bigger than I thought."

Wally fit into Robin's pj pants and shirt, but just barely. The pants ended above his ankles, and the shirt was skin tight.

"It's fiiine," said Wally as he waved away Robin's concerns and walked over to the full length mirror framed in gold. He turned side to side and made ridiculous sexy poses.

"Mmm," he said appreciatively. "Dat ass."

Robin rolled his eyes and headed toward his shower.

"Maybe we can get you some bigger pants," he said thoughtfully. "I'll have to figure something out."

Wally sat down on a small antique bench in front of the mirror, propping his head in his hands and spacing out. Again, a lightheaded feeling washed over him as he let his concentration go, and he sort of grinned at nothing. A few minutes later Robin emerged, drying off his face. As Robin threw the towel to the side, Wally glanced up into the mirror and regarded the reflection of his friend behind him.

Dick's eyes were blue.

Blue like a "perfect, crystal-clear, stunning sapphire sitting in the sun outside" blue.

And Wally was, in fact, stunned.

He raised his head part-way off his hands and stared into the mirror. His throat went totally dry and his heart dropped into his stomach. He was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to feel this way, but suddenly he had to cross his legs awkwardly.

Robin raised an eyebrow at his uncomfortable friend. "What?"

"Uh … what were you … saying about bigger pants?" Wally's voice cracked halfway through his sentence.

"Oh, I totally think I have a plan." Robin grinned.

"Fantastic." Wally squeaked.

Robin made his way out the door and turned back toward Wally, who was still seated on the bench. "You coming?"

"Yeah. Uh … by all means, sir, after you."


	9. Laundry

**_I hope you like it! Previews won't come as fast for the next chapter, as I'm not as far into it as I was with this one when I posted Chapter 9, BUT THEY WILL COME. _**

* * *

As he and Robin made their way through the manor, Wally distracted himself from his awkward feelings by concentrating on the wealth around him. An oriental rug muffled the boys' barefoot steps, and wooden walls with ornate filigreed borders absorbed their whispers. Crystal sconces hung between ancient oil paintings in gilded frames, alternating between famous landscapes and portraits. The corridor was a stark contrast with the white, narrow halls in Wally's home. Those were adorned with embarrassing naked baby pictures that hung haphazardly on the walls in frames from Target.

Wally fought off feelings inadequacy and jealousy, but even he knew this castle was not quite a _home_. He passed a large dining room with a giant table that could seat probably twenty people. The living room had an enormous fireplace and giant TV, but there were no happy pictures on the mantle of Dick hanging out with family members dsor playing football with his uncle, no warm kitchen table where you could actually pass the butter without getting up to walk.

In the living room, Wally paused underneath the portrait of a family—a young boy, maybe eight or nine, and his two parents. Unlike the stern expressions of the people in the older paintings, the mother and father smiled contentedly at their son, while the eight-year-old wore an expression like he was trying to be serious but couldn't help hiding a grin.

Wally knitted his brow again, like he was looking at something familiar, but he couldn't remember what it was. He glanced over at Dick, but it didn't really look like him; Dick's features were a little finer than the boy with the handsome, strong jaw in the painting. He asked anyway.

"Hey, Robs!" he called, "Is this you and your parents?"

Robin spun on his heels, a horrified look on his face. He grabbed Wally's hand and pulled him as fast as he could into the next hallway, dragging him past couches and a really cool looking grandfather clock.

"First of all, _SHHH_!" hissed Robin, "And second of all _NO_."

"Your brother or something? I mean, it's not that old, and it looks kinda famil—"

"NO. It does not look familiar. You have never seen it before," said Robin, staring intently into Wally's eyes.

"Are you like … trying to do the Jedi mind trick?"

"Augh. No. Just … forget it, okay? This way, and be quiet—I'm serious." Robin snuck down the hall. He was going into full stealth mode, back against the wall, peeking around corners.

Wally walked casually to where Robin crouched down, checking out the intersecting hallway. "Dude … what are you doing?"

Rob grabbed him by the edge of his shirt and pulled hard, forcing Wally to his knees.

"OW!" Wally yelped, jumping back up. He adjusted the pj pants.

"These pinch!" he squeaked.

"We'll fix that in a minute as long as we don't get caught!"

"Caught?" Wally tried to remember. "By Alf? That alien on that show from like the 80s?"

"No, idiot." Robin started to crawl on all fours around the corner. "Follow me."

Wally strolled behind him, occasionally glancing over his shoulder for … _aliens_, he guessed.

Robin finally stood up in front of a pair of huge double wooden doors at the end of the hallway. He held his breath and started to turn the French handles when suddenly he spun around.

"Augh! _That was plan A_! I forgot that I made it _actually plan B_!" He cradled his head in his face. "Oh God, silent alarms, silent alarms. Thank God I almost didn't forget. Almost … remembered. Wait? What? How does that even make sense? Maybe I just membered it?"

"Uhhhh," Wally shrugged, "Got me."

"Anyway, plan B is much safer. Well, _at first_ it was plan B. Now it's _plan A_, even though it's not guaranteed." Robin headed toward the other end of the hall and ducked into a smaller door on the left. A narrow wooden staircase, covered with a narrow strip of worn beige carpeting led down two flights of stairs.

"He can't notice something missing that's already not there!" Robin crowed triumphantly as he pounded down the steps. Wally followed after him, trying to decipher the strange turn this little search for pants was taking.

The floor at the bottom of the steps was cold and hard, like concrete. Robin flipped a switch to reveal an enormous laundry room. Or at least, it looked like a laundry room at first glance: an _industrial_ laundry room full of a dozen washers and dryers. But beyond those sat several heavy duty sewing machines, something that held some vulcanized rubber, and elaborate machinery even Wally couldn't identify. It stretched into a darkened half of the room, farther than he could see.

Robin was quickly pawing through laundry baskets and clothes on dry cleaning racks.

"Perfect." Ripping open a thin plastic covering from a dry cleaner, he pulled pair of dark blue silk pajama pants off a paper hanger.

"Here," said Robin. "These just came back today, so he won't expect them, and he won't notice that they're 'missing,' haha. Am I genius or what?"

"I guess so?" Wally said. He took the soft pajamas and gave Robin the side-eye. "I'm not really clear on why we have to go through Mission Impossible just to borrow someone's pants, dude."

"Well, duh, now we don't have to take them out of his drawer."

Wally ducked behind a washer to change. "His? You mean your dad?"

Robin paused. "... Yeah."

Robin politely averted his eyes as Wally shed the cute flannel pants and pulled on the silk ones. He tossed the yellow pjs in Robin's direction, and they landed on his head. Robin _ttched_, pulled them off his head and tossed them in a hamper beside him.

"Man, your dad's a big guy. How do I look?" Wally asked, stepping out from behind the white machine. Robin flat out laughed. If Robin's pjs were too small, these were way too big. Wally was swimming in them.

Wally pulled the drawstring tighter and huffed. "Well, they stay up. And they're more comfortable than whatever sausage casing you were trying to stuff me into."

He put his hands on his hips and looked around. "So what exactly does the Grayson family do, anyway? This is a pretty crazy setup." Wally gestured toward the machinery beyond them. "What is this, textile manufacturing?"

"Uhm …" Robin said shyly.

"Auto design? Medical supplies?" Wally grinned and began to rattle off random lucrative businesses. "Stocks? Banking? Software development? Telecommunications? Nanotech?"

"Well … uh … yes." Robin shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes … which?" Wally turned back toward Robs.

"Actually, the Graysons … " Robin cleared his throat. "… they don't—didn't—do those things, but my—"

Wally interrupted softly. "Wait, what?" He knitted his brow and started to feel a little sick. "... '_didn't_', Rob?"

"Uh, no. I mean, they—my parents," Robin explained, keeping as straight a face as he could, "They—ah—they died four years ago,"

Wally stepped toward Robin awkwardly, carefully watching his friend's bright blue eyes with his own green ones as he continued. "They—_we—_were acroba—" Robin's voice caught in his throat, and Wally clumsily but quickly drew him in for a hug.

"Err …" Robin just stood for a second, his hands at his sides, trying to keep his breathing even, feeling Wally's heart beat against his chest.

It slowly dawned on Wally just who he was hugging; why Robin's name had felt a little familiar.

"The Flying Graysons?" he murmured. "I remember Flash telling me about it. Oh, Robi ... Dick. I'm so sorry."

Wally had felt so bad for the boy left behind.

Robin shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around Wally tightly. He was _so, so_ glad, that even though Wally didn't _know _he knew, Wally _had _known, and his family _was _remembered, and specifically, his family was remembered by his _best friend_. Robin teared up a little, but he didn't cry, as alternating waves of sadness and numbness and comfort washed over him in a chaotic manner. He felt dizzy and fine at the same time. It was a weird, weird feeling, but it wasn't the worst.

Robin backed away gently from Wally's hug and blinked his eyes in the harsh fluorescent lighting. It was surreal, standing barefoot on the cool concrete floor in his laundry room telling his best friend—who was dressed in the borrowed pajama pants of one of the richest and most powerful people in the world—about his own tragic past after ... _how many years had they known each other?_ It seemed unbelievable that Wally had only just learned his name a couple of hours ago. He wiped at his eyes and almost chuckled at the ridiculousness of the situation. _It was so nice to finally have this._

"You ok?" said Wally, still concerned. He lightly hung onto his friend's wrist.

"Yeah," smiled Robin. "It was a long time ago. I'm glad I told you. I'm okay."

And he meant it.

Wally frowned and nodded. "If you say so." He sighed sadly and looked around again, strolling over to the torn dry cleaning bag and ripped off the tag. "So. If this isn't … then who …?"

He got very, very pale.

"... Rob," he choked out, not taking his eyes from the thin, tattered piece of pink paper in his hands. "This dry cleaning tag says '_Bruce Wayne_'."

Robin couldn't help but dissolve into giggles at his friend's expression. Wally stared for another beat and turned to Rob.

"Your kitchen must be _amazing_."

Robin almost fell over laughing.


	10. Kitchen

Wally whooshed through the second floor corridor, Robin scooped up in front of him.

"Where is it? Where the hell are you hiding it, brat?" he groaned, desperately searching Wayne Manor for its obviously giant kitchen. He'd already been through half the house. Robin snickered in Wally's arms; he felt kind of … off, but floaty and good. _Isn't this what it's like to actually be close to someone your age?_

"Uuuuhm. I think it's this way," he said, pointing in a random direction up the stairs behind him. Wally did a one-eighty, and Robin's head spun in the nicest of ways as the speedster took off in the opposite direction. They wound up in a storage room full of museum pieces and priceless treasures. Wally glowered at Robin and narrowed his eyes menacingly.

"It doesn't even make _sense _it would be on the third floor," he growled.

"Whoops!" Robin teased. "Guess I'm a little lost. Maybe it's down that elevator and to the left?"

Wally sighed and blurred away, skidding to a stop in front of a huge gym. Robin shrugged and grinned. "Guess not."

Wally dropped Robin on his ass on the plush carpeting. "Dude, stop screwing with me!"

"Ok, ok." Robin snickered as he rubbed his butt and headed to the right. "This way."

Around the corner, Robin pushed open two white diner-style doors with the little round windows to reveal the kitchen. Wally fell to his knees, clinging to Robin's waist for balance. Robin could practically see the little hearts popping from his eyes.

"Robs … Robin," he whispered reverently. "I think I'm in love."

The large white kitchen sported an enormous, immaculate white island counter lined with upscale pots and pans, two sinks and four cutting stations. To the right were three gas stoves, two more gargantuan sinks and miles more of countertop lined with cooking utensils out the wazoo. And to the left … _to the left_ were three industrial fridges and a walk-in freezer, surrounded by at least ten floor to ceiling cupboards clearly stuffed with food. Five microwaves, three convection ovens … fantastic smells wafted from the kitchen; someone was preparing a feast.

Wally buried his face in Robin's hip. "It's so beautiful I can hardly stand to look."

Robin gave him a friendly little kick. "Get up, idiot. I'm starving."

Wally sped around the kitchen, tossing plates and bowls onto the counter - milk, Cheerios, pickles, leftover poultry and spaghetti, some really fancy devil's food cake, granola bars, orange juice …

"Hey, where's the junk food, Robs?" he asked, digging through imported truffle sauce in the cabinet and live lobsters in a tank next to one of the fridges.

"We don't eat much. In case you hadn't noticed, it's not good for 99.99% of the population."

"Suchs t' be 'ou," said Wally, holding a chicken leg in his teeth as he dropped an armful of yogurts on the counter. Wally laughed and polished off the chicken and yogurts before pouring himself a bowl of Cheerios and milk. He experimentally dumped some round dill pickle slices in with the cereal and took a bite.

"AUGH! Rob, Rob," he called, "You gotta try this. It's so gross!"

"Ew, no. What are you, pregnant?" Robin finished off his second granola bar and downed an orange juice.

"That's pickles and _ice cream_," Wally said. "ICE CREAM WHERE'S THE ICE CREAM?"

He happily dug through the freezer, Cheerios forgotten.

Robin's ears perked up at the sound of even footsteps approaching the kitchen. He froze. _Bruce? No, too light. Alfred!_

Wally froze, too, as the doors to the kitchen began to swing open. "KF, _HIDE_," Rob hissed.

As Alfred stepped into the room, he was buffeted by a breeze and a strange rattling of cabinet doors. The tails on his coat fluttered behind him. Robin felt the solid click of the wooden door underneath the sink at his ankles. He turned to Alfred and smiled brightly.

"Hi!" he said. He struggled to come up with an excuse for the obvious mini-tornado that had just swirled through the room. "The AC seems weird, huh?"

"Master Richard." Alfred cleared his throat. "Midnight snack?"

Robin glanced over his shoulder at the pile of wrappers and plates he and Wally had already left behind. "Yes! Starving."

He reached blindly for the nearest food item and swallowed a bite of Wally's soggy pickles-Cheerios-and-milk concoction. Robin's eyes bugged out, and he tried not to gag.

"Mmmm," he muttered, smiling at Alfred. Alfred looked coolly at Robin with patient, half-lidded eyes.

"Well," he said. "I'm only here to check on the progress of tomorrow's meal."

Robin subtly shuffled the yogurt cartons and plates closer behind him, while still keeping guard over Wally in the cabinet under the sink. Alfred turned some dials at a crockpot and walked toward Robin in front of the convection ovens and fridges. He paused.

"Yes?" Robin squeaked.

"I just need to get to the oven, Master Richard."

"Of course, of course!" He stepped to the side for a second for Alfred to pass and immediately moved back, trying to act cool. When Alfred was done adjusting the oven, he regarded Robin over his shoulder evenly—and decided to take the long way around. Robin sighed a little with relief as Alfred reached the entryway.

As he pushed open the door, Alfred paused and looked back.

"Master Richard."

Robin snapped to attention. "Yes!"

"Is there anything you need tonight?"

"Uh .." Robin shifted uncomfortably. "... no?"

Alfred nodded. "Very well, then."

Alfred let the door swing shut behind him, a small, almost imperceptible smile on his face.

Robin crouched down and pulled open the door to the tiny space under the sink. Wally was stuffed in there awkwardly, practically folded in half and surrounded by a bunch of breakfast bars, apples, a pear, and a couple of cereal boxes. He finished up a Jello-pudding cup with a $600 silver spoon.

"Why the hell didn't you just hide in a walk-in cupboard or freezer _like a normal person_?" hissed Robin.

"Too ob'vioush, dude. If h' need'd shometing from the cabints, cover blown. Pschhhshh." Wally made a little exploding motion with his hand.

"And what the hell is all this?" Robin gestured to his stockpile of foodstuffs. "You opened every damn cabinet on your way here!"

"Rations," Wally shrugged. "Who knew how long I'd be in there? Maybe days."

Robin narrowed his eyes. "... do you hide in kitchens a lot?"

"Er … noooOoooOooooOOOoo."

Wally tumbled out from under the sink, another pudding snack in hand. "So who was that? Your adopted granddad?"

"No. Yeah. Kind of."

"I guess," Wally said, making finger quotes and drawling, " '_Master Richard_' is kind of a weird pet name for your grandkid."

He shook his head and took another scoop of vanilla pudding. "But, frankly, in this place, who knows, right?"

Robin snorted softly and grinned. "_That _was Alfred. Alf. He's our …" Dick hesitated, leaning back against the counter thoughtfully. _How to explain Alfred? _"He kinda takes care of us."

"Coo'." Wally popped some spaghetti into the microwave as Robin wandered over to the crock-pot next to the stove. It smelled fantastic. He lifted the lid and inhaled deeply - minestrone soup.

_Mmm, so good._ It was one of his favorites. _Alfred won't mind if I have just a little, right? _He tipsily made himself a bowl, still a little fuzzy-headed from the last spin around the house.

Wally peeked into one of the convection ovens where some poultry was marinating slowly on low. It was elaborately garnished with plants and herbs; Wally'd never really come across something so fancy in person.

"Wash' thish?" he said, toting a giant ice cream tub under his arm. He'd forgotten a lot tonight, but he hadn't forgotten he was looking for ice cream before Alfred interrupted.

Robin peeked up from his bowl of soup. "Quail."

Wally tilted his head questioningly.

"Chicken for rich people."

"Weird."

"Actually," said Robin as he ladled out a second bowl of soup for himself, "it's awesome. I love it."

"Ooooh, can I have some?" Wally squeed.

"Uh …" Robin looked over Wally's shoulder. "It doesn't really look done."

"Turn the juice up!" Wally cranked up the dial a few notches. "Delicious in no time."

Robin wrinkled his nose. That didn't sound right, but he didn't know much about cooking. In fact, Wally actually probably had more experience in that area. "Uh … sure."

Then the microwave dinged, and Wally put down the ice cream on the counter to take out the spaghetti. "Mmm, yesss."

Robin abandoned his bowl of soup and took a bite from the tub. _Mmmm. Salty caramel. The BEST_.

"Have some spaghetti with me. There's almost enough for both of us," Wally snickered.

"Idiot," Robin flicked a meatball at him. It exploded on his shirt.

"Robs, DUDE. Now I need a new shirt," he whined. He paused.

"Right after we eat this. It'll go cold." He pulled out a couple of forks and handed one to Robin - they dug in.

"So Rob," Wally asked, "I guess Bruce is cool with you being Robin and all?"

Robin choked a little on the noodles he was swallowing. "Er …"

"I mean, my parents were upset about it at first," he said, twirling up another bite of spaghetti, "but they knew Uncle Barry and trusted him so …"

He took the bite just as Robin did. As each slurped up their string of spaghetti, it popped out of the pile. It was the same noodle. Wally chortled through his mouthful.

"U h've t' be kihddin' me."

Robin stared crossed eyed at the piece that hung between them.

Wally grinned. "'Kay, time f'r gay chi'ken, haha," he said, still hanging onto the piece.

Robin looked at Wally, cheeks flushed. "Wuh?"

"Sho th' firs' one of ush th't backsh off losesh." And with that, he closed his eyes, leaned toward Robin started to eat the rest of the string.

Robin froze.

Half-way through, Wally glanced up. Robin hadn't moved an inch. Wally frowned a little.

_Why isn't he moving? If he didn't want to play, wouldn't he just back away? If he did, wouldn't he …_Wally ears felt inexplicably hot. He didn't expect Robin to take him up on the challenge at all.

_Well ... not going to freaking lose._

He concentrated on the string of spaghetti and slowly inched towards Robs, trying not to freak out. _Why isn't he moving? Why isn't he moving? Why isn't he backing away?_

Millimeters before their noses touched, Wally panicked, bit off the noodle and backed away.

"Aw man." Wally swallowed. He stared at the spaghetti plate and started to clumsily twirl up another bite. "Guess I lost."

"Yeah," said Robin breathlessly, "I guess you lost …."

But somehow, Robin didn't really feel like he won, either.

"But I got more spaghetti than you so maybe I won after all." Wally forced a grin, still staring at the plate, still just twirling the spaghetti over and over. He dropped the fork, not really wanting any more, and leaned on his forearms toward the center of the island counter.

"Oh, crap! It's melting!" he grabbed a spoon and dashed over to "rescue" the ice cream melting in the middle of the island.

"Hey!" yelled Robin. "Don't eat all the damn ice cream!"

"But it's dying!" Wally moaned as he ate as fast as he could. Robin tugged at the tub in Wally's hands.

"It's my _favorite_, jerk!"

"So help me perform some triage, dude!"

Robin tugged harder, and the tub collapsed in the middle, exploding all over the floor. Wally sped away as fast as he could, and Robin took the brunt of it.

Wally spun around, horrified, inspecting the unspeakably expensive silk pajama pants he wore. They were still spotless, and Wally collapsed in relief.

"Are you trying to get me _killed_? These belong to _Bruce Wayne. _They're probably worth _more than I am_."

Wally looked over to his friend. Robin's shirt and pj pants were drenched, and he stood in shock, arms out, dripping onto the floor.

"Uh ..." supplied Wally.

Robin exhaled and narrowed his eyes. "Am _I_ trying to get _you _killed?" he snapped. "Do you have _any_ idea what we're doing here?"

Wally stared at his friend in suprise. Robin grabbed some towels and began dabbing at the ice cream on his pants. "Sure, one or two little things I can explain no problem, but they add up. Eventually, _you're _going to do something I can't think up an excuse for."

He leaned over Wally, who had started sheepishly wiping at the ice cream on the floor with some paper towels. "And do you have _ANY _idea _how much freaking trouble _we're in if we get caught? If _you_ weren't such a disaster zone, there wouldn't be an _issue_."

Robin tossed the towels on the counter once he stopped dripping. "I'm getting new clothes, and then I'm cleaning up after you. Again."

Robin stalked out of the kitchen. Wally knelt back on his heels for a minute, watching him go.

"Can I get a new shirt, too?" he mumbled to himself.


	11. Gymnasium

Wandering through corridor after corridor, Wally finally found his way back to Robin's room alone. _Goddamn this place is huge._

Robin was nowhere to be seen, but his armoire was wide open. Hesitantly, Wally selected another red shirt and, shedding the one with meatball on it, he perched on the edge of Robin's bed and frowned at the floor. Normally, he would have protested one of Robin's outbursts, but the rant was so angry and out of nowhere that he wasn't even sure what he was defending himself against. He just knew felt he awkward in this giant, formal house, and he knew he didn't belong.

Wally couldn't find a hamper to toss the shirt into, so he decided to fold it, meatball stain carefully out so that it didn't get over any more of the shirt. He set it gingerly on the sink in Robin's bathroom.

Tonight had been so weird. He wandered over to the window the way he came in and glanced between it and the fresh shirt in his hand.

_I should just go home. _

Frowning, he realized that couldn't quite place where Robin's house even _was, _but once he got out, surely he could figure it out. He tried to shake away the fuzzy-headed feeling that had bothered him all night, and set down the shirt.

… but then he couldn't find his Kid Flash uniform.

"Oh _crap_," he whispered. _This _was bad. Desperate now, he tried to clear his head and retrace his steps earlier that evening. They … were here, in the room … and tree … and a … subway (_what?_) and … the ocean. _It was wet!_ Oh yeah, he'd left it to dry, draped over one of the many towel racks in Robin's bathroom. He checked them all, but no dice.

_Ok, maybe Robin did something with it when he came back up. I just have to find Robin._ He grimaced. He kind of didn't want to find Robin. However, he remembered him saying something about cleaning the kitchen.

_Maybe he'll let me help. It would go a lot faster._ But Wally doubted that Robin would even let him near the place again. Reluctantly he pulled on the new thsirt and walked back the way he came, stomach in knots with the idea of the inevitable confrontation.

He started to push open the diner-style doors when he heard noise in the gym next door. Wally peeked in and found his friend hanging from a pair of gymnastics rings. He looked angry.

Robin moved out of a bracing position, swung himself over and flipped once. However, on the second swing, he missed the right ring, lost his grip entirely and fell. Instinctively, Wally zipped over and caught him; Robin startled at suddenly finding himself in Wally's arms, against his warm chest, Wally's bright emerald eyes looking down in concern and apprehension. Wally wasn't sure that Robin would exactly appreciate his help right now, and in fact, Robin flushed and squirmed out of Wally's grasp.

"I would have been fine," he snapped as he walked toward the other side of the paused in front of a padded, round platform on the edge of the mat. "I don't need your help."

He slammed his fist into the object, taking out his frustrations out on the black cylinder.

"What is _wrong _with me tonight?" he said, a pained look on his face. "I can't _think_. And if I can't _think_, eventually, we're _totally screwed_. It's because I can't _think _that you're even _here._"

Maybe the opposite was true, too.

Wally struggled with how and for what to apologize.

"I'm … uh … sorry about the ice cream," Wally said awkwardly. "... and uh … the spaghetti?"

The spaghetti had been an honest joke. Wally really thought Robin would freak out and back away immediately, and they would have a good laugh at what Wally was willing to do for a noodle. Robin wasn't really listening.

"God, even _one little detail_ will give us away. You _shouldn't _be here. There are _reasons _for that. We're _already _screwed. It's too late."

"Uh … I can just go home, but I can't find my—"

Robin strode up to Wally and glared at him. "It's not _fair_. You, with your stupid family that everyone _knows _about, and your stupid uncle—"

"That's not really tru—"

Robin continued, "—and all the friends you bring over, and your stupid _green eyes_ that everyone can _see_, and your stupid magical powers, and your _jokes _and your stupid _flirting—_"

"It's not magi—"

"Shut up, Wally." Robin glowered. "The point is you don't have to _work _for it. Nothing's a damn struggle. You don't have to _pretend_. No secrets—"

"That's also not—"

"No _nothing_. And I can't even _think _anymore. I keep _forgetting _things. _And_ _that's all I have_." Robin punched the platform again.

_That's also not true, _thought Wally, but he was, for once, speechless.

Robin collapsed, sitting down Indian-style on the thick blue mat, head in hands, facing away from his friend. "I'm sorry. I've felt weird all night. It's not really your fault."

"... I'm the one who's stupid," he whispered.

Wally still didn't know what to say.

"Well, relatively," Robin snorted to himself. "Idiot," he said twisting back towards Wally, smiling sadly. Robin turned away again and sat in silence, rubbing his temples.

Wally, no longer wanting to broach the _very bad_ topic of his missing uniform, desperately looked around for something to distract himself—and Robin—from this awkward moment.

"Is … uh … that a giant trampoline over there?" Wally pointed to what was obviously a giant trampoline.

Robin sighed. "Yes, Detective West. You make me feel better already."

"Can I try it?" Wally said, hopefully. "I've never been on one that big."

"Knock yourself out. What's one more thing he can get your prints off of?"

Wally made a face as he climbed onto the trampoline. _Were Bruce and Alfred crazy?_ The most powerful man in Gotham surely had secrets and stuff to protect, but Wally hadn't seen anything out-of-place. Everyone knew where Bruce Wayne lived. Wally _had _seen the house in magazines. Everyone knew his past. It made sense that he'd take in Robin, especially since they had both lost their parents.

Wally sighed and experimentally bounced on the taut black mat. He immediately felt wonderfully dizzy as he jumped up and down.

"Oh man, Robs, this is great," he said.

Robin regarded his friend. "You're doing it wrong. Jump harder."

Robin climbed up onto the trampoline, bounced a couple of times, bent his knees deep and flipped twice in the air before he landed, still bouncing.

"Heh," he said, "Like that."

"Fine," said Wally, feeling a little competitive. He also bounced higher but barely made it through one flip before landing on his butt.

"Pfft," snorted Robin. He bounced again, this time folding his arms across his chest and keeping his body relatively rigid as he did a half turn and landed on his feet. Wally grinned.

"I'll show you _jumping_." Wally grabbed Robin under his arms and bounced hard.

At the peak of their jump, he tossed Robin into the air as hard as he could. Robin flipped three times in the air before bouncing back. Robin grinned brightly and tried again on his own. He just made the third flip before landing on his butt. Wally took Robin's hands and pulled him up, and they continued to bounce lazily and do somersaults along the mat until they felt completely dizzy and out of it. Laughing and panting, each collapsed on on opposite sides of the mat, arms out.

Inevitably, the mat gave way under their weight, and they sunk into the center. As they slid, Robin let Wally's outstretched arm run behind the crook of his neck, and drew his own arms across his chest until he was flush against him. Catching their breath, they stared comfortably at the ceiling for a moment. Wally eventually bent his elbow and hooked his hand above Robin's head to relieve some of the weird pressure from the mat on his arms.

"Hey Robs," he asked. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green, why?" Robin snickered. "Is this third grade?"

Wally shrugged. "I guess. Mine's red." He grinned. "We're like Christmas."

Robin rolled his eyes and laughed. "How is it that you always make me feel better?"

He tentatively tilted his head back, looking toward the rings behind them, and got his hair a little tangled in Wally's fingers. Wally swallowed nervously.

Then the door to the gym opened, and they both shot up to a sitting position. Robin elbowed Wally hard in the chest.

"GET DOWN," he hissed. Wally tried to sink as deeply into the mat as he could.

Alfred stepped into at the entrance way.

"Master Richard," he said evenly. "Master Wallace."

Wally and Robin's eyes went wide.

"I am going to turn off this light now," Alfred continued, "and I think that you should lay as _still and quiet_ as possible until I return."

His voice was very stern and a little urgent. "Do you understand?"

Robin nodded. "Uh … yeah. Quiet and don't move."

"Excellent. This may be a while."

Alfred snapped off the light, leaving Wally and Robin on the mat in the darkness. Wally was confused, but Robin looked terrified.

"_No_. Please, please, _please_," he whispered.

"What's going on?"

Wally could hear a distant low rumble.

"What's that?" he asked.

Robin was pale.

"The _Batmobile_," he answered.


	12. Quiet

Wally's eye twitched.

"The _what_?" he hissed.

"Wally, he wasn't supposed to come back here tonight!" Robin whispered desperately.

"The _WHAT_?" Wally whispered a little more loudly. The rumble grew closer, and there was the sound of heavy doors opening.

"He always has monitor duty with the League _overnight _on Saturdays. I shouldn't see him until _tomorrow _at Mount Justice in the morning!"

"You live with the _GODDAMN _BATMAN?" whispered Wally. "You live with BATMAN _AND _BRU—"He connected the dots. "Oh ..."

"Wally, what the hell am I going to do!"

"... that actually explains a lot," finished Wally.

"I'm _dead_."

Wally glanced at his pajama pants. "YOU PUT ME IN _**BATMAN'S **_FREAKING PJS? ARE YOU _**INSANE**_?"

The rumble grew louder and louder, almost directly below them now.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO HAVE ME MURDERED?" Wally hissed.

"Wally, the _kitchen_."

Wally sat in shock, eyes wide and mouth open. "... I've killed us all."

Robin was going into full freak-out mode. "The _cameras_. I forgot to hack the _cameras_. He'll _know_. He'll know EVERYTHING. He probably _ALREADY _knows," Robin hissed in hushed, desperate tones. "MAYBE THAT'S WHY HE'S HERE! _MAYBE HE CAN READ MINDS_ I DON'T EVEN KNOW."

Wally hyperventilated a little. "Maybe … maybe it will be ok. Uh … Alfred … said …"

The rumble of the Batmobile's motors shook the floor.

"Wally, he'll _kick me off the team_!" Robin was wild-eyed and trying to sit up on the slippery, bouncy mat, "He … he might not even let me be _ROBIN _anymore! Wally, I have to go do som—"

"No!" Wally hissed quietly, a worried look on his face. He turned to his side and pinned Robin back with one arm. "Alfred said to … maybe he won't notice ..."

The rumbling came to an abrupt halt.

"Wally, you don't really _know_," Robin panicked, and he started to raise his voice and squirm away. "The WORLD'S GREATE—"

Wally quickly shifted to gently cover Robin's mouth with his hand.

"Shhhhhh! Ro'bin, _SHHHH_!" he whispered in Robin's ear. Wally was terrified now, begging Robin to calm down. Robin's continued protests were muffled by Wally's hand, but he was starting to slip out of Wally's grasp.

"Maybe … maybe his vision is based on movement, Rob! Please, please, please, just do what Alfred said!"

Rob finally squirmed out from under Wally's arms. "I have to …"

But Wally was too fast. He caught Robin by the wrist and one shoulder, and Robin landed on his back, still wriggling to get away.

And then Wally kissed him.

* * *

"Tea, sir?"

Alfred stood in the cool of the Batcave, holding a tray with a steaming teapot and an assortment of teas.

Bruce slid out of the Batmobile and pushed back his cowl. "Maybe an Earl Grey, Alfred."

"Very good, Master Bruce." Alfred set down the tray and poured a cup.

Bruce slid into the console seat and, signing in, started absentmindedly going through documents and emails.

Alfred offered him the mug. "I must say, sir, this is somewhat of a surprise. It's after midnight. Aren't you expected at monitor duty soon?"

"Yes, Alfred, but they can survive without me for a couple of hours." He took a sip of the hot tea.

Out of habit, he flipped casually through the live feeds of the security cameras. The living room, his own room, the (_spotless_) kitchen, the gym. Moonlight filtered through the back half of that room, falling gently over the rings and the mats. The other shutters had been firmly closed, though, and the front half of the room was totally dark.

"Is Dick in his room?" Bruce asked. The camera in Robin's room was off. Security cameras were all over the house, but, of course, when they were at home in their rooms, they flipped off the camera to afford them some privacy.

"Actually," Alfred said, "I believe he is with Master Wallace."

"Wally?" Bruce pulled up Robin's tracker, which beeped happily away—in his wrist computer—in Happy Harbor. He leaned back in his chair, frowning. "Hmm. He forgot to turn the camera in his room back on when he left. I'd hoped to go on patrol for a while before heading up to the Watchtower." He pulled out a communicator. "Maybe I'll give him a call."

* * *

Robin went slack in Wally's arms as his soft lips pressed against Wally's warm ones. It was a very chaste kiss; Wally just closed his eyes and held his face to Robin's gently, barely even breathing. It felt like a minute had passed, maybe two, when Wally pulled away, eyes wide. Robin smelt like caramel and shower gel.

"Uh …" Wally let go of Robin's wrist and shoulder. "... sorry," he whispered as he backed off.

Robin stared at the ceiling.

"You were just …" Wally struggled for words. "I …" _What the hell had he been thinking?_ "I couldn't let you … leave …"

Wally shifted away so that he wasn't touching Robin at all, awkwardly trying not to slip back into him on the bouncy mat. _What the hell HAD he been thinking?_

"I guess I thought … that might snap you out of it …" Wally trailed off, a terrified look on his face.

Robin still didn't move. Wally swallowed. _God, I probably just stole Robin's first kiss._ It was certainly his own first. Wally's stomach flopped.

"… well, uh … you seem a little calmer …" he said, almost inaudibly, grasping for something to break the tension.

Robin suddenly flipped and kneeled over Wally, pinning his wrists to the mat above his head. He stared at Wally with an expression completely unreadable in the pale light from the other side the room.

"You think I'm _calm _now?" Robin whispered flatly.

* * *

Bruce started to ring up Robin.

Alfred cleared his throat. "With all due respect, sir, might I recommend against that?"

Bruce looked up, a little surprised. "Why?"

"It's a weekend, and Dick is with his friend. Is it not normal that a young man would spend it that way?"

"I just thought it might be a nice surprise because it's today. Just the two of us."

"All the more reason he should be able to spend this night with friends. He won't be this age again."

Bruce frowned and picked up his tea. He took a thoughtful sip.

"Wouldn't your company be just as timely this evening?" Alfred continued coolly. "You could take him to his favorite restaurant. Just the two of you."

"Restaurant?" Bruce looked up at him from the corner of his eye. "What happened to dinner?"

"There was ah …" Alfred paused, "... an unfortunate malfunction of the temperature dial on one of the stoves. It burnt the main course, sir."

Bruce narrowed his eyes a little. "Unusual."

"Yes, I'll call the manufacturer about it on Monday. I hope you'll return for dessert, though."

Bruce put his tea down and calmly regarded the computer screens for a while. He began closing unimportant documents and flipped through the cameras again thoughtfully.

"Hmm." He regarded Alfred carefully, who smiled gently at the man he'd known since he was in diapers. "Of course we will return for dessert," he finally said. "I think he'll like _Le Chatelaine_. Excellent quail."

"Very good, sir."

Bruce got up and signed out of the computer. He pulled up his cowl and headed back toward the Batmobile. "The microphone on the gym camera seems to be damaged. It's not picking up as much ambient noise as the others in the house."

Almost as if it had been turned down.

"I'll see to it, sir."

Before he stepped into the car, he gave Alfred, perhaps the man he trusted most in the world, another long, pointed look. "Everything's in order, right Alfred?"

"Everything is fine, Master Bruce."

* * *

Wally's breath came uneven and shallow as he looked up at his friend. " … I … It didn't really … mean anything, Robs, I just …"

Robin continued to regard him with an impenetrable expression.

"I'm … I'm sorry, ok?" he whispered, "Can we just pretend it didn't—"

"It didn't mean anything?" Robin asked evenly.

"Well, uh …" Wally fumbled, but his mind raced. _What kind of question was that? Was he offended? Why would he care?_

"I mean … I guess _not anything_ is a little strong ..." _What was he even babbling?_ Wally's throat went dry. His head was hazy, and he was having a hard time processing what was going on at all. "I … uh … wouldn't really say …"

"You're being too loud," whispered Robin, and his lips met Wally's again.

This time, though, Robin experimentally opened his mouth to his. Wally's heart thrummed in his chest like a hummingbird's, and he gingerly responded in kind. He became acutely aware of Robin's hands at his wrists and the way one of Robin's knees hit the side of his hip where he knelt over him. Everywhere Robin touched him, Wally flushed crimson, and he knew his face was beet red. He felt his pulse in his ears and his lips, and, (_Oh God_) on his tongue as Robin gently, hesitantly slipped his own into Wally's mouth.

Robin tasted like salty caramel ice cream and spaghetti and soup and something else; he tasted like a _meal_, the best thing Wally had ever had in his life. He couldn't think; he couldn't breathe; he just lay there and _tingled_. Robin leaned in a little harder, and Wally lifted his head halfway to meet him, each kissing the other more forcefully. Wally swallowed a moan, and Robin lifted away, breathing heavily.

Robin knitted his brows. "What about … M'gann?"

_Who?_ Wally thought for a second before he resurfaced from the kiss. He blinked a few times, genuinely trying to work something out, like _What am I doing?_ and _Is this even a good idea?_ Finally, he gave the most honest answer he could.

"Who?" he whispered.

And Robin was on top of him again as the rumble of the Batmobile purred to life beneath them.


	13. Bonus: Quiet, Too

**So, I just finished reading _Control _over at the YJ anon meme. I didn't think I was going to use this, since I wasn't really sure that it worked at all, and it has an awkward "time rewind" that I don't use anywhere else. ****It's the kiss from Rob's POV, but I couldn't integrate it very well, because he was so _in his head_ and talky, and switching between three POVs - especially when two overlapped - was just SO hard to follow, even for me.**

**BUT I HAD TO POST WHY WALLY IS SO LOVEABLE AND AWESOME AFTER READING THAT, and so here it is as a "bonus" chapter. I hope it's ok!**

_**AND LASDJFhsdkjfhasdkljhasdjlsd 100 reviews F*CK me you are awesome and I am so humbled and happy and grateful and glad and honored THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ;_;**_

**Anyway, kiss from Rob's POV:**

* * *

_Ten Minutes Earlier:_

The Batmobile had just cut its engines as it pulled into the cave. Bruce would be getting out any moment now. The _cameras_.

"I have to …" Robin panicked and squirmed away from Wally, who was hissing something urgently in his ear and cupping his mouth with his hand. His feet hit the edge of the mat and were almost off it when he saw a blur. He felt pressure on his shoulder and his wrist—and then his lips.

Robin forgot what he was doing again.

Wally's lips were warm, and once they met his, Wally lay very, very still. Dick's eyes were wide open, but he could see that Wally had closed his. In fact, they were squeezed shut, and even though Wally seemed controlled, his pounding heart betrayed his anxiety.

Dizziness overtook him, and he gave in. Wally relaxed a little, too, as Dick went limp, but he didn't move for quite a while longer. Finally, Wally broke away, panting and stuttering, and Robin just stared ahead at nothing. He barely heard Wally.

_This was way beyond whelming. Probably beyond overwhelming. Does that mean it wraps back around to underwhelming?_

… _no. No, it does not._

Wally had actually stopped talking, and Robin took a second to process the last thing that he had said: " … well, uh … you seem a little calmer …"

He flipped Wally onto his back and knelt above him.

"You think I'm _calm _now?" Robin whispered flatly.

" … I … It didn't really ... mean anything, Robs, I just …"

Robin was confused. _Of course it didn't. That was ridiculous. Impossible. They were just friends._

He could still feel the trace of Wally's warm kiss on his mouth.

"It didn't mean anything?" Robin heard himself say.

_Had that been a statement or had he asked question?_ Robin couldn't remember. _Was it reassurance?_

_Wally was a womanizing idiot. Careless, inconsiderate, overfed, (hilarious), reckless, (friendly), jabbering, (generous), clueless, (brave, caring, warm, brilliant, cheerful, honest, loyal, red-haired, green-eyed, fantastic) Wally._

Dick's head felt fuzzy.

As Wally continued to stumble for words beneath him, he remembered why Wally had kissed him in the first place, and the disaster (_heavy on the dis_) that awaited them downstairs crossed Robin's mind.

"You're being too loud," Robin whispered.

_This may be the last day I see Wally. Like, ever._

So he kissed him again. Robin's chest went tight, and his breath hitched as his lips gently parted: he wanted _more_ of his friend. _My friend._

He had plenty of _friends_, people to hang out with, to laugh with. People who would, if necessary, risk their lives for his and vice versa. He couldn't call them anything less than friends.

His hands warmed at Wally's wrists; the warmth travelled up his arms and spread into his chest and abdomen.

But Wally, though, in the last few years (_the last few hours_), had gone (_way_) beyond his best friend. He was Robin's only _real _friend. He wished there was a prefix on "friend" that he could rip off to make the word more accurate. Robin tried not to tremble.

_Might as well go for broke before Bats grounds me for life. Or ships me off to boarding school in Siberia._

He slipped his tongue between Wally's lips, and his stomach dropped like he'd been thrown out of a plane without a parachute.

_No parachute._ A remote part of Robin's brain, the part not caught in the heat of Wally's tongue, his lips, his breath on his cheek, or the goosebumps on his own arms, worked through this rationally: there was no going back from this.

_If I never see Wally again, then, well, tomorrow barely matters. Nothing matters. But given the slight … slight chance we'll escape from our mistakes tonight—no, not mistakes—our … our adventures, then … what? What will happen tomorrow? Will we pretend this never happened?_

Robin felt a surge of possessiveness, and he kissed Wally harder. And (_god yes_) Wally returned the favor.

But the nagging little voice didn't let go: _will … will Wally just go back to being …_

Reluctantly, Robin pulled away, panting. He knitted his brows. "What about … M'gann?"

Robin watched several shades of confusion cross Wally's face.

_Hopefully, this is a way out. If Wally wanted to snap out of … this … they could both just laugh now; maybe it wasn't too late, and things would go back to normal and … if he wanted to … he could stop …_

Robin held his breath.

"Who?" Wally whispered.

And Robin was on top of him again as the rumble of the Batmobile purred to life beneath them.


	14. Trampoline

The Batmobile's engines shook the floor again, and Robin let his friend's left wrist go so that he could tangle his fingers into Wally's red hair, his tongue running over Wally's teeth and deep into his mouth. Wally kissed back hard, warm and wet, and tentatively ran his hand up Robin's side to the back of his neck, gently trapping his lips to his. Wally bit back a moan until the rumble faded into the distance.

Once total silence settled on the room, Robin dropped his head into the crook of Wally's neck and sighed with relief.

"I don't know what Alfred did, but at least we live until tomorrow," he whispered into Wally's ear.

"Looks like," Wally said, twisting a strand of Robin's soft black hair between his fingers.

Robin lifted his head to look at the wrist he'd kept pinned; it was almost humming away beneath his fingers.

"Your wrist is so _warm_," Dick said in wonder.

"That's ... that's because you keep tou-touc-_nngh_!" Wally squirmed as he lightly brushed his thumb over the sensitive spot.

Dick opened his eyes wide. "Did I hurt you?"

Wally couldn't answer, but he shook his head "no" vehemently.

Dick smiled and shifted one knee between Wally's legs. The trampoline shook unsteadily beneath them as he pulled them up to a sort of kneeling position to give him better access to Wally's arm. Keeping one bright blue eye on his friend's face, he cupped the back of Wally's warmed wrist and brushed his lips against it. Wally's expression broke and his head landed on Robin's shoulder. Relatively, Robin's lips and tongue were cool, and all Wally could do was pant into Robin's collarbone as he gently licked the delicate bones in Wally's wrist.

_What is happening?_ Wally wondered. For all his bluster, he didn't actually have much experience in this sort of thing, and he was pretty shocked to find himself responding to Robin like this. _I mean, don't I like girls? Don't I REALLY like girls? Not that there's anything wrong with _not _liking girls, but ..._

Dick aside (_ha_), the fact of the matter was that a girlfriend was a very difficult thing to maneuver. Finding one took time, maintaining a relationship took time: time he didn't really have. Keeping a secret identity would be hard, and, no matter what, a normal girl at his school probably wouldn't appreciate that he had to immediately drop whatever he was doing to go on a mission. And relationships with heroines ... well, it was pretty obvious how well that was going. Frankly, any free time he _did _have, he'd prefer to spend with ...

His palm met Robin's free one, and he entwined his fingers with his friend's.

… _maybe this makes … makes sense after all_, Wally admitted, turning even redder. _Even if I do like girls._ He'd just never really thought about Robin like ... like … that. _Not until tonight. Not consciously, anyway. Actually, maybe it makes a lot of sense._

Wally's eyes fluttered open as he twisted his wrist away from Robin's grasp. He cupped his friend's chin: Dick's eyes sparkled a dark blue in the dim moonlight. Wally's chest contracted, and he pulled him into a needy, passionate kiss, running the tip of his tongue over Dick's bottom lip and then sucking on it as he brushed his hand down and around to Dick's hip. Robin closed his eyes and sighed softly into Wally's mouth.

Wally rocked back onto his toes, and, grabbing Robin behind one knee and his hip, flopped him over onto his back. The bounce of the trampoline broke his hold, and they clumsily collided: _unf_. The kiss Wally had planted turned into a light nip on Robin's neck.

Wally backed away quickly. "Sorr—" he began ...

... but a small mewl of pleasure from Robin's lips changed his mind. Heart pounding, he reached behind Robin and gently took hold of his hair, tilting his head back to expose more of his neck. Snapping lightly at the divot between Robin's collarbones, Wally nibbled up his neck, pausing to suck wherever he felt Robin's throbbing pulse points underneath his lips.

As he made his way up, Dick's breathing grew more erratic, and his hands fell to his sides, trying to grip the flat, textured mat. Just as Wally reached the junction between the corner of his jaw, neck and ear, Robin gasped and arched into him. Wally involuntarily held his breath as his friend's chest met his own.

"Oh, _God_," Dick groaned, shuddering.

"You rang?" Wally whispered into his friend's ear, smiling smugly.

Dick opened his eyes, his pupils blown with pleasure. It took a second to refocus them on Wally's smirk before he could narrow them in mock annoyance and smile dangerously.

"Oh, I'll make you call out a name," he threatened … _and/or promised_.

Robin hooked a foot behind Wally's left ankle, grabbed his left wrist and trapped it at his hip. Robin leveraged himself up and over the redhead, and Wally _eeped _when he found himself on his back once again. Robin immediately slid his left hand up Wally's right side, over his perfectly toned bicep and forearm, and stroked the flat of his palm over Wally's right wrist, which still hadn't quite recovered.

Wally sucked in a breath sharply and stammered, "_Dude_, not faa-_ir_."

"Heheheh," Robin chuckled quietly into Wally's ear. He tentatively ran his tongue over the top edge of Wally's ear, and as the speedster moaned and threw his head back Robin followed the natural path down to his earlobe. He never let go of that fantastic wrist, running his thumb very lightly back and forth across it, reveling in the changes he could feel in Wally's pulse with every move they made.

After a moment, Robin backed up and straddled Wally, timidly grabbing the edge of Wally's shirt. His face burned and his hands trembled as he started to push it up Wally's warm torso and perfect abs. This was maybe a little more intimate than he was prepared for, but still, Dick didn't want to stop.

The curve of Wally's hip into his torso and ribs was so _familiar_. How often had his thighs lightly squeezed that curve from behind as Wally ran him piggyback across the country? Robin blushed. _I think I prefer it from this side_: Robin could see Wally's face twist in pleasure at his caress, his eyelids sliding half-way closed so that the emerald greens were just a half-circle below his eyelashes. Robin leaned forward to show his appreciation with a light brush of parted lips.

Wally gasped under Dick's touch, which was a mind-numbing combination of warm and cool. Though Robin himself was flushed red-hot, as his hands traveled up toward Wally's chest, they still felt like a cold glass of lemonade pressed to Wally's temple on a hot summer's day. Yet at the same time, every brush left a trail of heat that he knew, if he could sit up, he would almost see _glow_.

Robin was leaning over him now, pressing his lips to Wally's, and Wally shivered as Robin kissed the corner of his mouth. Robin's shirt had accidentally fallen forward, just a little bit above his waistband, and when Robin brought his stomach flush to Wally's the soft skin on his hip met his own, and Wally buzzed so hard it almost hurt. This was his b_est friend,_ who he'd _met _years ago, but who he didn't even _know _until tonight …

"Di—god, _Dick_," he cried.

And then the taut black mat snapped up hard, hitting Robin square in the face, and he bounced alone on the trampoline because Wally wasn't there anymore.

"Au_hgg_," Robin said, as he pressed his hands to his bruised and maybe bleeding nose. "Gddmmit."

"Wawwy?" he called, his voice muffled through his fingers and the mild pain.

"Wally?" he called more clearly. Robin scurried to the edge of the trampoline and peeked over it. Wally lay spread eagle on the thick floor mat, eyes wide open in shock, staring at the _wrong side_ of the trampoline.

"Oh my god," Wally murmured. "That was … that was … so weird."

Robin raised his eyebrows. He hung on to the edge of the trampoline and tilted himself straight upside down over the side, legs tucked in above him, head toward the floor. His floppy bangs floated down and away from his forehead.

"Yeah. That ... qualifies." He grinned lightly.

"Did … did you _see _that? That was _all of me—all the way through something_."

"Er," Robin glanced sideways. "Actually, my eyes were closed but, yeah, I noticed."

"Rob, how am I doing this?" Wally pressed experimentally on the mat above him, but it gave under his force and pushed up and away. He started hastily touching things around him: the floor mat below him, the springs under the trampoline's surface, the leg of the trampoline, the soft tuft of Robin's bangs …

Wally tilted his head back and regarded his upside-down friend. Grinning, he flipped onto all fours and crawled over to him. Wally giggled and gave him a short kiss on the cheek.

"You must be magic, dude."

"Magic?" Robin cocked an eyebrow. "You sure about that? There _is _something wrong with you today."

Wally rolled his eyes. "You know what I _mean_."

"Surrrrre I do. I'm _maaagic_."

"Shut up!" griped Wally. "I'll show you magic."

And he shut Robin up with a slow, deep, upside-down kiss.

"Whoa, Spiderman kiss, huh? That's sort of taking it to the next level, isn't it?" Robin joked. But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he flushed nervously. _Er, what level are we at now anyway? _he wondered.

Wally suddenly pressed his fingers to the top of his nose. "Auuuugh. Here it comes—nosebleed. Dammit."

"Right back atcha," Robin complained, his nose still smarting from the smack against the trampoline.

Wally knitted his eyebrows in concern. "Don't hang upside-down, then! That's bad for it!"

"Pfft. It's fine." Robin bent back gracefully and dismounted the trampoline until he lay on his back by his friend.

The door to the gym squeaked open. Before Robin finished his next breath, he heard Wally pop up, hit the edge of the trampoline, _cursed_, and then he was on the other side of the room under the rings, awkwardly leaning against the wall and pretending to look at his fingernails.

The hall light behind Alfred spilled into the dark room. "Ahem," he cleared his throat.

"Hey there, Alf!" Wally waved cheerfully. "Can I call you Alf? Uh, I'm just … here. Standing. Robin was, uh, just showing me some of his moves over there."

Before Wally shut his mouth both teens flushed crimson in mortification. Wally coughed uncomfortably and suddenly found the floor fascinating.

Alfred cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sure, Master Wallace."

Robin pulled himself up out from under the trampoline. "What's up?" he squeaked.

"It's getting rather late, Master Richard, and I wanted to let you know that I have made up your … _separate _rooms, should you want to go to bed. Which I highly recommend."

As Alfred led them to their rooms, the two boys teased each other and laughed, each subtly slipping his hand into the other's. Alfred had considered sticking Wally in a guest room on the other side of the house, but he knew it would be futile to contain the speedster. He sighed. He led them to a guest room a few doors down from Dick's room.

"Hey, my costume!" Wally said, as he zipped to the uniform folded neatly on the bed. He held it to his cheek. "It's all warm and clean! Thanks, Alfred!" he gushed.

"Not a problem, Master Wallace."

"You're the best."

"Thank you," Alfred smiled slightly.

Wally quickly shed Robin's too-tight, and, at this point, too-warm red shirt. Robin swallowed and looked politely away.

Wally crawled into the cushy bed, and brought the covers up to his chin. "So do I get a bedtime story?" he asked.

"I don't believe so, Master Wallace," replied Alfred.

"Robs?" Wally asked.

"Uh, pass."

"Goodnight, guys!" Wally laughed as Alfred flipped off the lights.

"Goodnight, Master Wallace. Sleep well."

Robin smiled. "See you in the morning, Wally."

* * *

Wally waited five minutes before jumping out of bed and speeding down the hall to Robin's room.

Alfred, on his way downstairs, felt a strange breeze go by. He sighed and wished Wally had at least waited until he'd gotten around the corner.


	15. Awkward

Wally burst into Robin's room and found him his extravagant bathroom, washing his face for bed. Wally leaned his head just past the door jamb. "Um, hi."

Robin looked mildly surprised but pleased when Wally peeked in, like he'd won a bet with himself. He toweled off and grinned at his friend.

"Hey," he said.

Wally stepped through the rest of the way. He hadn't put his shirt back on. Flushing, Dick felt shy and looked down, meticulously folding his washcloth and arranging his toothbrushes.

An awkward moment passed. Now that he was here, Wally had no idea what to do. He fished for a plausible excuse for coming over.

"Uh, I didn't bring a toothbrush in my costume, so I was wondering if you had any new ones lying around?" He gestured to Robin's belt as a joke.

"No _new _ones in there," replied Robin solemnly as he dug through the cabinets.

"... are you serious?"

Robin looked at him evenly. "Never know when you're going to be sleeping over at some guy's house, right?"

Wally snickered. "... fine."

Dick pulled out an unused toothbrush out for him, and, as Wally opened the packaging, passed him the toothpaste.

"Cinnamon?" Wally cocked an eyebrow, a slight wrinkle in his nose.

"Oh, yeah?" Dick smirked. "You didn't seem to min …" He trailed off, blushing again, suddenly really interested in reorganizing the cabinet under the sink.

As Wally washed his equally red face and brushed his teeth, Dick wandered back into his room and sat on the bed, hunched over awkwardly. He was still feeling a little out of control, and he didn't like it.

Wally gingerly sat down next to him, and he could feel waves of warmth roll off the shirtless speedster and had a hard time making eye contact with his half-naked friend. Wally knitted his brows and struggled to put a finger on what was so weird.

"Uh … is it ok that I ditched the shirt? It was a little small and too warm." He frowned in apology.

"What?" Robin said, feigning surprise. "No, it's fine. Pfft. Nothing I haven't seen at the beach."

He swallowed. Frankly, he hadn't really paid attention before, and so it sort of _was_ something he hadn't seen: the way Wally's chest rose and fell as he breathed, the contraction of his abs as he leaned back on his hands, the way freckles dotted his shoulders and arms. And sides. And pecs.

"... wouldn't want you to be _h_-hot."

Another awkward moment. Wally stared at the ceiling.

It was difficult to fall back into what they both _did _want to do when there wasn't a life-or-death situation to force it, and brushing your teeth for bed wasn't much of a mood-maker. They weren't exactly expert at this sort of thing.

"So … what do you wanna do?" asked Wally.

Dick cleared his throat. "I dunno. I don't do this..." he waved his hand around, indicating 'the sleepover thing', "... much. What do you usually do?"

Wally straightened up. "I know! Let's tell ghost stories!" He blurred through all of Dick's drawers, looking for something.

"Hey!" protested Dick. "Don't …"

Wally skidded to a stop in front of him. "No flashlight?"

Robin narrowed his eyes and grumpily pulled out his belt.

Wally snickered. "Don't worry, baby, I didn't find anything incriminating."

Robin threw the mini-mag light he pulled from a belt pocket at Wally's head, and immediately the room light snapped off. Wally leaned toward Robin with the flashlight under his chin and a creepy grin on his face. He chuckled evilly.

"What's your best ghost story?" asked Dick.

"Ahhhh …" Wally went totally blank.

So he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"There once was a girl from Nantucket …"

Dick batted the flashlight down. "Idiot." Wally barely caught the roll of his crystal blue eyes in the moonlight.

Wally sighed, and the lights were back on.

Robin bit his thumb, his foot jiggling up and down against the bed. He stared at the floor intently, like he was trying to process something that was taking too long and should have come to him minutes ago.

Wally flopped on the bed. "Worst sleepover ever, Robs."

He didn't mean that at all.

"We should train."

"... train."

"Like, your powers."

Wally blinked, incredulous. "... you spend _way_ too much time with Batman, dude." _He probably never went to sleepovers, either._

Robin dug into his belt and pulled out some tripping wire, and Wally's eyes went wide.

"What are you going to do to me?" he squeaked. He wasn't … he wasn't … totally sure if this was going to make things _worse _or _better_.

"You want to stay in your groove, right?" Robin crawled up next to Wally on the bed. "Kneel and hands out."

"..."

Robin wrapped the wire around each of his wrists and then over both of them. "Now get out of it."

"... ok." Wally took a breath, _tried_ to relax, closed his eyes and concentrated. Nothing. He tried harder. His wrists were starting to turn red and chafe.

"Ow," he supplied. Wally frowned and tried again. "Eeernnk."

Dick laughed and leaned back, propping his arms behind him.

"I'm not gonna have to work my _'magic' _on you, am I?" he snarked.

Wally narrowed his eyes. "No."

Wally was too busy concentrating on vibrating out of the wire a fourth time to notice that Robin had leaned forward. Robin grabbed his right wrist, and Wally's breath hitched at the contact. He glanced up as Dick looked into his eyes and smiled mischievously.

Wally stared. _God, his eyes are blue._

... and the wire fell through Wally's wrist like it wasn't even there.

Dick grinned.

"Maaagic," he said mockingly, and Wally pursed his lips in annoyance.

"Ok, second half," commanded Robin. He grabbed Wally's left wrist.

Wally didn't have any leverage at all on the wire that circled his left wrist, and he couldn't increase pressure by pulling apart his hands when he vibrated. So, nothing.

"Hmm," Robin said. "Try again."

Wally concentrated, and this time Robin leaned in and blew lightly on his ear. Wally jumped in surprise and flushed, and the wire slipped straight through his arm and down his lap onto the bed.

Robin smirked. "You know, it's going to be pretty embarrassing if I have to hold your hand every time we need to get you out of handcuffs … _handcuffs_!"

Robin sprang off the bed and back to his belt, dug out a pair of batcuffs, and kneeled in front of Wally again.

Wally's mouth dropped open a little.

"I think it's more about distraction than anything. Like, you have to look at it sideways or something. Hands out."

"Are … are you really doing this?" Wally was getting flustered.

Robin raised his eyebrows and looked at him like he as an idiot. "Well, they're probably not going to tie you up with tripping wire!"

He cuffed Wally's hands in front of him.

Wally swallowed thickly, having a hard time processing what in the hell was going on: he just learned his friend's name a few hours ago, visited—no, _broke into—_his room in the house of the richest man in Gotham, hid from Batman, ... some other stuff, fell through a trampoline, and now he was kneeling, handcuffed, on his best friend's bed.

"... you're a weird guy, you know that?"

Robin narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying?"

Wally hesitated. "Uh, nothing, I guess."

Robin leaned back again to consider his handiwork.

"Nope. No villian would cuff you like that."

Before Wally could protest, the acrobat undid the cuffs and fastened Wally's hands behind his back.

"What the hell, Robs?" Wally complained. He was glad Robin was sitting behind him because he could feel his face turn all kinds of strange colors.

Robin leaned over his shoulder.

"I mean it, Wally," he said seriously. "This could save our asses someday."

Wally let his head drop to his chest in defeat. "Fine."

"Worse sleepover ever," he mumbled.

"Ok. Now try." Robin took a hold of his hands.

Wally vibrated his hands a little harder. There was the strange sound of metal on metal, and he could feel his wrists start to sink into the cuffs. Then it hurt. A lot. He stopped, panting, and his wrists popped back into the cuffs on their own. A bruise started to form at the base of his palms. Robin frowned in concern and, gently rubbing his wounds, leaned back over Wally's shoulder.

"Try to distract yourself. Think about something else. Something _nice_," Dick breathed into his ear.

Wally shivered, squeezed his eyes shut, and tried one more time, but frankly all he could think about was how freaking weird this situation—_this whole night_—had been. It wasn't working.

Robin shifted to sit in front of Wally. "Try again."

He threaded his fingers through Wally's hair behind his head and brought him in for a soft, slow kiss. Wally's stomach flopped, and he could feel his hands sink a little deeper into the cuffs, but about halfway through, it was just too painful. He tasted metal in his mouth, and his nose ached. Wally broke away with a grimace.

"Ow. No good," he panted.

Exhausted, Wally leaned against the headboard.

Dick looked a little—_sad_? _Disappointed_? for a minute. He snapped back to himself.

"Hmmm. Maybe some more motivation?" mused Robin.

Wally pursed his lips and closed his eyes. _What am I, your science experiment?_

When he opened his eyes, Robin was gone.

_Augh, don't just leave me here. _Wally glared at the ceiling. _I hate that ninja crap so much._

Moments later though, Robin returned with a plate of gourmet chocolate cupcakes elaborately topped with red icing. They smelt fantastic.

Wally sighed with relief and let his head drop back against the headboard. "Oh thank God, Robs, I am _so_ hungry."

"Perfect." Robin dipped his finger in the red icing on one and licked it off. He slowly bit the cupcake in half; the soft center, filled with thick chocolate syrup, ran over his bottom lip. He licked it away and grinned.

"Get out of those cuffs and come get some."


	16. Cupcake

_This and the previous chapter got really long, and even though I intended those and the next chapter to be all one chapter, they've become a three parter._

_I am pushing my personal comfort envelope _so far_ for these two in this chapter and the next that _I am getting paper cuts and bleeding_. (YMMV). One kind reviewer said that things got "mischievous" in the last chapter and, uhm ... they continue to do that here. _

_Incidentally, dark red frosting that tastes good is apparently REALLY hard to make, so I did a little research. That's a real recipe in there:_

_www. associatedcontent article/ 521083/ 5_ways_to_make_red_frosting .htm l ?cat=22_

_All that said, I hope you really like it, and **as always, thank you! **_

* * *

Wally emitted a high-pitched whimper and genuinely tried to buzz his way out of the cuffs while Robin leaned casually by the door, plate of cupcakes held aloft. He leisurely licked the rest of the deep red frosting off his cupcake and dug the soft chocolate out of the center, rolling his head back until it tapped the wall—in only _slightly _exaggerated pleasure.

"Oh, man, Wally, these are some of the best cupcakes I've ever _had_," he teased.

Wally sort of growled and narrowed his eyes. Rocking back on his handcuffed wrists (_ow_), he jumped off the bed and dashed toward Robin. Robin cackled and actually drew in closer to the speedster: Wally couldn't turn on a dime, and his powers weren't quite as useful in close quarters—especially without the use of his hands.

Robin managed at least three dodges while still balancing the cupcakes, but eventually Wally was too fast. Because Robin was focused on the plate, Wally nabbed the final bite of the Robin's half-finished cupcake in his other hand, nipping the tips of Robin's fingers by accident.

"Dammit," whined Dick as he sucked on his wounded fingertips. Wally grinned, the piece of cupcake still held precariously between his lips. He kind of tossed it in the air and caught it, like a dog doing a trick with the biscuit on its nose.

"Oh, poor _baby_," Wally said sarcastically. Dick glared at him, fingers still in his mouth.

But Dick was right—the cupcakes _were_ fantastic. Devil's food chocolate cake with half-melted chocolate centers—_maybe Godiva?_ The icing was a deep red with … hints of almond extract and vanilla?

"_Dude_," Wally moaned. Whatever the hell they were, Wally was getting more.

Robin already started munching on a second one, and Wally gleefully lunged for the plate, just barely keeping his balance. Rob spun around to play keep away, but on the second try, Wally managed to snag a whole cupcake off the plate with just his teeth.

"_Hwa_hwa," he said, muffled by the treat.

Robin looked actually very _un_perturbed, though, and simply took another bite of his own cupcake with one eye on his friend.

Because now came the hard part.

Without use of his hands, Wally couldn't just take a bite of half the cupcake without dropping the the other half. And it was too big to swallow whole. So he stood there, looking cross-eyed at prize that tortured him, getting frosting on his nose and upper lip as he tried to manipulate all of it into his mouth. He gave up and tried to buzz his way out of the cuffs. And he tried again. And again. And again, harder.

"You're going to get a nosebleed, and that will _really_ ruin the cupcake," said Robin, snickering. Wally got a weird expression on his face, and Dick wasn't sure if he was furious or about to cry. Or both.

"Du'ud, com' 'n, Robsh. 'elp a bro' ou'." He gave Robin his best puppy dog eyes.

Dick looked at him intently through his thick eyelashes and marched forward, plate still balanced in one hand. He was so intense that Wally instinctively stepped backwards until he hit the bed and he sat down nervously, while Dick leaned over him.

"Whu' ... wha' 'ou doin'?"

Dick smiled deviously and delicately nibbled the outside half of the cupcake, slowly and carefully licking the frosting off Wally's upper lip and the tip of his nose, until all that remained was the half Wally could eat. Eyes wide, Wally made an audible gulp as he swallowed his half.

"I … I di ... didn't say you could have it yourself," he stammered, trying to muster up annoyance.

"Hmm," Dick murmured, grinning.

"Come on, why can't I have a whole one?"

"All you have to do is get out of the cuffs."

Wally pouted angrily.

"Or fine, say the magic word."

Wally snorted in response. "Not to you."

Robin stood in front of Wally and brazenly started on his third cupcake. "Mmmm. Fantastic."

Wally smirked and feinted to the right, diving for the plate. Robin hopped on the bed and lifted the plate up and back to avoid him; Wally turned and feinted again for the cupcake in Robin's hand. Robin lifted that out and to his side as well, leaving his front wide open, and Wally kissed him firmly on the lips instead.

When Dick froze in surprise, Wally leaned over and took a bite out of the cupcake in Robin's right hand before flopping onto his back on the bed.

"Mmmmmm," he said, swallowing the delicious morsel. "And _that, _I believe, is the '_maaaagic_' word."

As Dick spun around to retort, one of the cupcakes toppled off the plate and landed on Wally's chest. Wally propped his head up and groaned.

"Why is it always frosting-side down?" he sighed.

Dick sort of stared at the cupcake for a second before silently setting the remaining cupcakes on the bedside table and going to retrieve a towel from the bathroom. On his way back out, he hesitated by the light switch, as if he were willing the gears in his head to turn faster, or more confidently, or something.

He flipped off the lights.

"... Robin?" Wally said nervously.

Dick had that unreadable expression again as he tossed the towel above their heads and slid onto the bed next to Wally's left side. He propped his head up with one hand, picked the cupcake off Wally's chest, and offered him a bite. Wally's throat was totally dry now, but he took maybe a third of the cupcake. It was a little hard to swallow. Dick took a bite himself, eyes never leaving Wally's face, and then gave Wally the last little bit. His fingers lingered above Wally's lips a second after he had finished the cupcake, who hesitantly reached up and kissed away the remaining crumbs. His head dropped back onto the covers, and, embarrassed and flushing, he stared studiously in the opposite direction of his friend.

Dick didn't pick up the towel to wipe the icing off his chest—which Wally didn't really expect him to do at this point anyway—or even bend over to kiss it away. Instead, he dragged the tip of his finger through the frosting, making a thin line that pointed in the direction of Wally's right hip. Then he dragged it backwards, and his finger flattened out, broadening the line into a triangle in the center of his chest. He ran out of icing, so Dick reached over and pulled the cupcakes closer to scoop some more of the deep red color. Now, with two fingers, he made a thick diagonal block downward, and—more icing—a thin triangle up towards Wally's left shoulder. Wally's heart fluttered unevenly in his chest as he recognized the familiar shape.

It was his _insignia_.

Finally—the last of the icing—Robin meticulously drew a circle around the red lightning bolt. Wally glanced down at his chest.

It was perfectly proportioned. It was perfect.

He couldn't breathe.

Dick reached over and straddled him; a gentle expression crossed his face, and he smiled softly in the moonlight. Bracing the heel of his left hand in Wally's left shoulder—his two icing-coated fingers suspended carefully above the expensive bedspread—he bent over and traced the symbol with his tongue. He kept his touch light where the drawing was the thinnest, using just the tip, and flattened it out to get all of the frosting where the lightning bolt thickened. As Dick slowly and carefully followed the zigzag over Wally's perfect skin, Wally closed his eyes and started to hyperventilate and whimper. Dick's tongue was wet, alternately soft and firm, rough and gentle, and each cool breath he exhaled sent shivers down Wally's spine.

"_Dick_," he breathed.

Waves of vibration flowed over Wally in fits, and all he could think about was how badly he wanted to hold Dick, press him close, run his fingers up the back of his neck and through his hair, and kiss him as hard as he could. He arched into him with a strangled whine, struggling to get out of the cuffs behind his back. Dick placed his other hand on Wally's shoulder, steadying him so that he could finish his little task.

When Dick's tongue reached the top of the bolt, he began to kiss away the circle in soft, broken nibbles. It was almost unbearable; part of Wally wanted to beg Dick to _stop_. He struggled to breathe evenly until Dick went all the way around and finished at the top of the circle at his sternum. As soon as Dick backed off him for a _second_, as soon a Wally could get a _breath_ in, his hands popped out of the cuffs behind him, and he almost pounced on his friend. His hands trembled and vibrated as he cupped Robin's face and pulled it to his own.

The steel cuffs were cold and hard against the small of his back, but Dick was soft and warm above him, and his lips were wet, red from frosting, and indescribably delicious. As Wally pulled Dick head closer to his and slid his tongue into his mouth, Dick's left elbow slipped off his shoulder at an awkward angle as Dick (_futilely_) tried to protect his bedspread from the frosting on his fingers. Wally just grinned into their kiss and broke it, turning his head to trap the fingers gently between his teeth. Dick dropped his head into the crook of Wally's neck and moaned while Wally sucked the frosting off them: both at the same time, then one after another, running his lips and tongue all the way down to his last knuckle and back to his finger tips—and over again. His mouth was _hothothot,_ and now Dick couldn't breathe.

Electric shocks sizzled up his arm as Wally gently kissed his way back to Dick's face, over his wrist and forearm, pausing momentarily in the soft, sensitive skin on the inside of his elbow. Wally slid his hands over Dick's shirt and shoulders and cradled his head as he once again kissed his way to the base of his neck and licked gently up to his earlobe, jawbone, and lips.

It was so _warm_ that Dick _shivered_, and he broke away, breathless.

"If we ever get handcuffed," Robin panted, "This is going to be hard to replicate in the field."


	17. Frosting

_I'm sorry I haven't had time to respond to all the kind reviews; school has started up again, and so that sucks a lot of my time. **Thank you as always**! I try to at least answer any questions that I get by PM._

_Fanfiction . net didn't update my fic by moving it to the beginning of the list last time: if you haven't read about Wally going after cupcakes, you may want to back up a chapter or two. :) Thanks for reading!_

* * *

"If we ever get handcuffed," Robin panted, "This is going to be hard to replicate in the field."

Wally grinned, flushed and giddy, and flipped Dick over onto his back. He occasionally still whirred.

"Yeah—probably."

Bracing himself above Dick, he glanced over at the bare cupcakes.

"Really? You used it all?" he said, pouting.

Dick raised his eyebrows. "Gee, sorry about that, dude."

Wally's mouth twisted into a smirk, and he grabbed one of the icing-less cupcakes and tossed it down. They were clearly homemade.

"Stay here, alright?" he said.

Dick smiled. "Don't really have any other plans."

Wally flashed away, and Dick could hear rattling in the kitchen a floor down. He hoped that Wally put back whatever the hell it was he was throwing around.

He was already back in the doorway, smiling smugly. "Found it."

Wally produced a metal cooking bowl full of the refrigerated, left-over icing. He dipped a finger in the bowl and licked it clean as he climbed back up next to Dick. "This is so good. Alfred is a _boss_."

He took another bite and leaned into Dick's ear.

"Two can play at this game, right?" he whispered.

"Yeah, unless you eat it all first," snarked Dick.

Wally plopped the very cold bowl on his stomach in revenge. "I'll try to hold back."

Dick sucked in a breath. It was cold even through his t-shirt. "Jerk."

Wally snickered. He set the bowl on the other side of Dick, just within his reach, and, running his hand under Dick's shirt, gently vibrated to warm his stomach back up. Dick closed his eyes and sighed, pressing into Wally's fingers.

Wally slipped his thumb over the bottom of Dick's shirt. He kind of cocked his head and raised his eyebrows, silently asking permission to take it off.

Dick looked thoughtful and hesitated.

Wally knitted his brows: "I definitely don't want to -"

Dick shook his head. "No, no. It's not that."

He sat up, pulled the t-shirt off and fell back down. He watched Wally intently, looking for some kind of reaction, and when Wally just smiled broadly, Dick relaxed.

Dick was beautiful. Wally could make out every defined muscle on his torso under his soft, pale skin, and he gently ran his hand over Dick's abs and shyly kissed him on the cheek. He reached over Dick for the frosting, allowing his natural heat to warm and soften it. He bit his lip and, concentrating hard, drew a circle on Robin's upper left torso where his symbol sat on his costume. When he hesitantly passed the frosting over Dick's nipple, Wally turned bright red in embarrassment, and Dick sucked in a breath.

"Ah heh," Wally said awkwardly.

He didn't write the "R" out: instead, he filled in the negative space around it –the black portion of the Robin's symbol. He sat up a little to examine his handiwork and frowned.

"I don't think it's quite as good as yours," he admitted begrudgingly.

"Pfft," Dick snickered. "Of course not."

Wally pursed his lips. "I guess I'm just not as obsessed with your chest as you are with mine."

Dick snorted. "Or maybe I'm just more observant, Captain Clueless. World's Greatest Detective's protege, duh." He gave Wally a soft, teasing kick in the shin, bent his left knee over Wally's legs and left it there.

He closed his eyes, figuring that Wally was done, but Wally gently cupped his chin and tilted his head back, exposing Dick's throat. Wally carefully traced a line down the center of his neck to its base. Wally split his two icing covered fingers and ran them—one above and one below his right collarbone—to the opposite shoulder. Dick's eyes widened in surprise a little when he realized that Wally was tracing the yellow lining that peeked out from under his black cape.

Wally smiled slightly as he got more icing and started again in the middle, drawing his fingers toward himself.

But as his eyes followed his fingers to Dick's near shoulder, his smile faded, and he knitted his brows deeply. Dick's shoulders and upper chest were riddled with tiny scars. They were light enough that they weren't noticeable from a distance, and only barely at close range in the soft moonlight filtering in from the window above the bed.

_How long will they stay so small?_ Wally wondered. Robin was going fight for the rest of his life and each one added would be a ... a ... a souvenir.

_Robs ... _His stomach contracted at the reminder of how fragile Robin really was. He was only human.

Wally frowned. _I should have just as many—maybe __**more**_. _I was "only" human not too long ago_.

Brows still knitted, Wally scooped up some more icing and traced one, two, three buttons down Robin's chest. Every stroke covered part of another scar.

_Actually, _Wally thought_, I shouldn't have __**any**__. I should be sitting at home in Central City reading about Robin in the papers._

Sure, Wally got his powers through scientific means, but mostly he got them through luck. He was lucky he was born in Central City; he was lucky he started the Flash club. He was lucky Barry had become Flash. He was lucky Barry had become his uncle. And Wally was lucky that he _survived _the moment he had replicated the chemical formula that turned Barry into the Flash. It's not like they could pass out speedster juice to anyone on the corner.

He _should _be the nerdy, annoying little redhead in Central, drinking Red Bull and surfing superhero forums on the net, having arguments about who would win in a race between Superman and Flash (_Flash_, duh). He _should _be envying Robin's adventurous life from afar, while he _actually _got Bs in gym—instead of just _pretending _to—and then going home to study physics by himself.

He dropped his other hand into Dick's soft black bangs, running his fingers over his forehead. The moonlight fell across Dick's face, and the patterns of the shifting leaves from the tree outside played across his cheeks. Holding back his bangs with one hand, Wally brought the red icing up to Dick's temples with the other, and he meticulously started the outline of Robin's mask.

But Wally _was _a nerdy, annoying, redhead speedster on a high-powered superhero team, best friends with someone who was essentially one of his heroes two years ago. The odds were _astronomical_. None of this should be happening.

He especially shouldn't be in Bruce Wayne's—_Batman's_—house, wearing Bruce Wayne's—_Batman's_—pjs, lying next to his childhood hero and inspiration in his bed, tracing the shape of his mask in red frosting on his face. Wally paused to consider to that these last particular "shouldn'ts" were probably less due to "astronomical odds" and more due to "totally absurd odds." Also, they came from a completely different pile of "oughtn'ts."

A sort of melancholy settled over Wally; he felt very, _very_ lucky, and he wanted to dump it all on Dick—Dick who lost his parents, who never really asked for any of this, who rose to the occasion anyway. All Wally had to do was tie on some sneakers in the morning and flop back into bed with barely a scratch that night. He could never have done what Robin does everyday. Robin wasn't "only" human … he was probably _more _of a superhero than Wally and any of the other metas and aliens in the league. Robin fought not just bad guys, but for his place there, and he fought for it all the time. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. _I believe Robin's superpower is "BAMF,"_ Wally mused.

He closed the outline of Robin's mask and ran his fingers lightly over Dick's chest, down to his belly button. He drew the circle of his belt lock around it, with the half-circles on the top and the bottom. As he dragged his fingers out along Dick's hips, just above the waist band of his pajama pants, Robin, who had lain as still as a statue until then, started to squirm.

"_Dude," _he whined, "Ticklish!"

"Oh _reeeally_?" Wally grinned evilly. He gave up on the belt, and, as fast as he could, licked off his fingers and pinned Robs. He smirked and brushed his fingers lightly over Dick's hipbones.

"_Rrrarrg_!" Dick growled and bucked and grabbed for Wally's wrists.

"You don't say?" Wally easily dodged Dick's grasp, held him down with the flat of his palms on each hipbone, and vibrated.

"Da-ha-mmi-hht, Whal-hyly!" Dick was laughing and squirming and weakly pushing Wally's hands away. "_God_, you're an asshole."

He started to tear up and laugh at the same time, grabbed a nearby pillow and did his best to beat his friend to death.

"_Dude_," cried Wally, letting one hip go to protect his head.

Dick tried to squirm onto his side to get away from Wally's torture, but when DIck tossed his head back to get some leverage, Wally let go of his other hip, and, in a blur, planted his hands on either side of Dick's head, and he gently licked the stripe of frosting he'd left on his neck. Dick gasped.

"Don't squirm like that. You'll ruin it," whispered Wally. "Before I can."

"Wal—_Wally_," Dick breathed.

Wally grinned and sucked what was left of the stripe away. Starting on the rest of his "cape," he experimentally vibrated his tongue over Dick's collarbone. Dick hissed and grabbed the sheets as Wally made his way over his shoulders. As he reached Dick's right shoulder, Dick let go of the crumpled cloth with one hand and grabbed Wally's head tightly, holding him closer. Wally shuddered at the touch, and his tongue accidentally slipped into Dick's shoulder a fraction.

"_Ahn_!" Dick cried out and bucked into him, biting his lower lip.

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" Wally said, looking worried.

Dick panted. "No. Not at _all_." He grinned.

Wally smiled softly and hesitantly tried again. Dick's breaths came short and uneven, and he continued to thread his fingers through Wally's ginger locks.

Wally finished one collarbone, then the other, then down the three buttons on his chest. He gently vibrated his tongue over the "R" - smiling maybe a little too mischievously when Dick groaned as he brushed his nipple.

Dick couldn't think at all anymore; he could only breathe. Soft tingles extended into his arms and fingers and toes from everywhere Wally touched him; he felt like he was floating and falling at the same time. It was exhilarating. Wally gently pinched Dick's nipple as he finished sucking away the 'R," then kissed down his ribcage, his belly button, and hips: _dammit_.

Dick squirmed and kicked and laughed as Wally struggled to hold him down. The metal bowl half-filled with icing clattered to the floor.

Eventually Wally had to let him go to dodge a knee heading for a sensitive spot -"Playing dirty, Rob!" - and Dick was able to wiggle out from under him and sat up.

Both of them were kneeling on the bed now, and Dick grabbed Wally essentially by the ears and pulled him in hard for a kiss. After enjoying his soft tongue for a moment, Wally let his eyes slip to where the frosting had upended on the floor.

"Ehrm, shuldn' we cl'en tha' u'?" mumbled Wally, muffled by Dick's tongue. Dick backed up a fraction of an inch and shook his head .

"No way. We're worrying about that tomorrow," he murmured into his friend's mouth, and he continued to kiss Wally, slowly, deeply, and lovingly.


	18. Tomorrow

_The most important plot development thus far is that Wally got better at using his phasing powers, with, er, Robin's help._

* * *

Wally woke up in the most comfortable bed he had slept in in his life. He was on his back, sleeping on at least two pillows covered in Egyptian cotton. Late morning sunshine filtered in through the windows decorated with elaborately sand-blasted filigree. He groaned as he opened his eyes and lifted a hand to block out the too-too-too bright rays of sunlight. He blinked blearily and started to sit up.

There was a lithe, toned arm draped across his chest.

_Uhhh _…

To his left lay a boy, facing away, with a familiar shock of shiny black hair wearing a black and yellow cape.

_Robin...?_

Robin's cape was kind of twisted up and around his shoulders, partially draped over his head. He wasn't wearing a shirt. Wally flushed a little.

_Uhhh..._

One of Robin's legs stuck out from under the blanket, and Wally's mouth fell open.

_Why is he wearing only box ... oh, a swimsuit. Thank God._

Wally paused.

… _Why is he wearing a swimsuit?_

Wally's eyes widened, and he sort of lifted the covers nervously. He flopped back onto his pillows in relief: he had his Kid Flash costume on, the top half pooled around his hips.

Robin curled his arm back under his shoulders and whined, "Five more minutes, Alfred."

"_...Alfred?"_

Wally carefully crawled out of bed so as not to disturb his friend - and almost immediately stumbled into the wall. _Augh_. He felt horrible.

_Have we been gassed? Mind control? _He cradled his throbbing head and made his way around the bed to what looked like a bathroom.

_Is this a … hotel? _It was one of the nicest places Wally had ever been in.

_It ... this must be a mission_, Wally thought, trying to clear the aching sensation in his head. … _Maybe we were spying on some high society ... thieves? Undercover? As ... uh ... rich high school students?_

He noticed a strange bubbling sound coming from the door behind him. There was a giant jacuzzi bathtub still running in the next room. _Wha - ... why ...? _

His head hurt whenever he tried to recall anything from the night before. He took a deep breath and blearily turned one of the designer handles at the sink and ran water over his face.

_Geezus, who's going to pay for this place? I know the League has money, but …_

He ran his hands down his face and stared wide-eyed in the mirror. His neck and torso were dotted with tiny bruises - well on their way to healing - but still obvious. His wrists had angry red lines around them, and it looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to his hips. _A ... fight? _

_Ok. Ok. Don't freak out. Rob will know. Just wake up Robin._

He tiptoed back into the room, trying not to trip over the contents of Robin's belt strewn all over the room. His foot caught caught in a weighted net for a second, but popped out without a struggle.

Wally frowned. _Did I just ….?_

Wally's breathing shallowed; everything was just so weird. The condition of the belt was so out of character for Robin that he started to choke up with anxiety. Robin _seemed_ ok.

_God, I hope he's ok._

Wally bent over his friend, who was still buried behind a pile of pillows and his cape.

"Rob," he whispered.

"_Rob." _Wally gently shook him.

"Whaa …" Robin muttered.

"I think we were attacked or something. And then, uh, given luxurious accommodations for the weekend."

Wally was still whispering, just in case someone might come at them, or bring them breakfast in bed. "We have to find the others. Maybe we won a vacation? On one day's notice?"

Robin cupped his face in his hands and rubbed away his exhaustion. Wally's goggles sat cock-eyed on his forehead.

_Why is he wearing my ..?_

Robin blinked sleepily as he turned toward Wally. Wally's eyes popped open in shock and his jaw dropped.

"What?" asked Robin.

"... _blue _eyes! Your eyes are blue!" Wally wasn't whispering anymore.

Robin's hand flew to his face.

"_What_? Where's my mask?" he whispered desperately. Robin jumped out of bed, groping for his belt or pockets, but his swimsuit didn't have either.

"What the..._"_ He started scrambling around the room digging through his belt.

"_Help me find my mask, idiot_!" he hissed, kind of half covering his face when his hands weren't full. Wally just stared.

_Uhhh..._

When Robin stood up, Wally brushed his hand away from his face and pulled his Kid Flash goggles sitting on Robin's forehead down over his eyes. Robin's face twisted in confusion, and he patted the goggles in wonderment. He sat on the bed and tried to breathe evenly. Wally shifted nervously and cleared his throat.

"Er … uh … I think its ok, I mean ... some things can't be unseen …"

"Yeah …"

"I … won't tell anyone …"

Robin shot up in surprise, like he'd just remembered something, and he dived for the door to lock it. On his way, he stepped on his taser, and it launched into the wall, sparking.

"_Why in the hell is that thing even armed?"_ he cried.

Robin locked the door firmly and collapsed back against it.

"Who else is here?" he whispered urgently to Wally.

Wally held up both hands defensively."Got me, dude."

Robin cradled his goggle-covered face in his hands, talking to himself. "It's ok. It's ok. It's just Wally; I'm at home …"

"This is your _HOUSE_?" sputtered Wally.

Robs hands dropped and his eyes flew open.

"You should _NOT _be here," he realized. "What the _hell _are you doing here?"

"I don't know! I thought this was a hotel!"

"Why were you in my _BED_?"

Wally's mouth worked, but no sound came out. He gestured helplessly.

Robin snorted and sat down, narrowly avoiding tripping over the taser wires. _Augh_.

Wally stood awkwardly on the other side of the bed. "So uh ... nice place you have here."

"Yeah."

Robin sighed and looked around at the mess: frosting on the floor ... what looked like Bruce's pjs ... batcuffs ... his grappling hook was tied around a chair.

_We are so screwed._

Wally wandered over to a familiar-looking trophy case, filled with awards for ... Richard Grayson. He frowned. The name made him feel sad for reasons he couldn't put his finger on.

"... is this you?"

Robin briefly considered lying. "Yeah."

"Sooooo, Richard ..." Wally tried out the name.

"Nope."

"Rich?

"Nope."

"... not Dick, right?"

"… yeah."

Wally snickered. "Well, now I know why you won't tell us your identity."

"You didn't seem to dislike it last - " It just slipped out, and Robin shut his mouth hard and stared at the floor, looking kind of shocky. Wally's eyes widened, and he paled visibly.

Robin ran his hands over his face, sighed, and wandered over to the bathroom. Wally followed behind like a lost puppy dog.

Robin flipped off the jacuzzi tub and turned to Wally. "Why is that on?"

Wally shrugged. "You mean you weren't trying to boil me alive?"

Robin gave him a whithering look. "I totally should have. You'd probably be better off."

He wandered over to the mirror and unclasped his cape.

"..."

If Wally looked like he fought with an octopus and won, Robin looked like he'd fought with a giant squid and lost. Both boys stared at Robin in the mirror, jaws on the floor.

"We ... we got into a fight last night, right?" Wally squeaked.

"Yeah ..." trailed off Robin.

"Like ... do you remember a ... convenience store? Maybe?"

"Kind of ..."

"A bunch of cans fell on me, right?" Wally pointed to his own healing bruises.

"And the dude must have had a bat," he continued. "... and handcuffs."

Wally grasped at straws in an attempt to make sense of, well, everything.

"I kind of remember that ..." Robin pulled up KF's goggles and washed his face.

"Why... why is your R bruised into your, uh, chest?"

Robin could only shake his head in wonder.

"Does ... does it hurt?" Wally asked softly, bothered by feelings of guilt he couldn't quite explain.

Robin pressed on it gently - not even a wince. "No ... it's uh, really shallow. I've had a lot worse."

Wally felt relieved and much sadder at the same time. "Ok."

Robin washed water over his face again.

"Missed a spot," Wally pointed out. He wiped away a trace of red at Robin's temple and frowned.

_Too bright to be blood … smells sweet …_

He tasted it. "... frosting?"

Robin closed his eyes, actively repressing some of the more embarrassing memories that were starting to drift to the surface. Wally shifted awkwardly and avoided eye contact.

There was a knock at the door, and Robin looked terrified.

"_HIDE_!" he hissed, shoving Wally toward a closet as he hastily refastened his cape.

"We have to clean all this up!" Wally whispered back.

A small, noisy tornado flew through the room, and suddenly most of the disaster cluttered the closet floor at Wally's feet.

"Got it!" He gave Robin a thumbs up, and Robin rolled his eyes and shut the door.

"Master Richard?" a smooth baritone called from the hall.

_Alfred. Thank God._

Robin nervously unlocked and opened the door just enough for him to stick his head out.

"Batman has called you to an emergency meeting in Happy Harbor. He expects to begin at 11:30."

Alfred cooly regarded the room over Robin's head, which was still decorated with frosting stains and taser burns in the walls.

"If you need more time, I could alert him."

"Ah .. aheh …" Robin laughed nervously.

In the closet, Wally tried to subtly pull on the rest of his costume while keeping one eye on the room through the thin slats in the door. He didn't notice until his yellow hood temporarily covered his entire face that his suit was on backwards.

_... What the _…

"Also, Master Bruce requested that you join him at La Chateleine for your birthday dinner."

Robin looked up in surprise. "What about dinner here?"

Alfred paused. " … You seemed to have enjoyed most of that already. Also, they don't have overcooked quail there."

Robin wrinkled his nose in confusion.

"I hope you'll return for dessert though," Alfred continued. "I can make more cupcakes if you like. You seem to be partial to them."

Wally and Robin both held their breath a moment, trying to make sense of some very, very odd feelings that came over them.

"Be sure that Master Wallace collects all of his things before he returns home this morning," he said.

Wally squeaked in the closet, and Robin groaned as remembered the goggles on his forehead.

"You know?" griped Robin. "Is anyone else here?"

Alfred smiled subtly. "No, not to my knowledge."

_So … no._

"Does ... Bruce know?"

Alfred paused. "... I would avoid lying to him, but you may want to alter some of the ah … security footage before you go."

Robin sucked in a breath.

"I hope you had an enjoyable birthday evening, Master Richard."

Robin nodded absentmindedly.

"Uh ... happy birthday?" Wally chimed from the closet.

Robin groaned.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Wally and Robin were showered and dressed. Thank God they could go in their uniforms: those covered 99% of the damage inflicted on them last night.

Wally did his best to quickly scrub the carpet clean without burning a hole in it, while Robin looped some of the footage in the house and messed with time codes so the break wasn't obvious.

_It's better to hide a lie within the truth._ He left most of the bits caught on camera when they came in, the kitchen, and the halls. There was _no way_ they were hiding all this. The cameras in his room were off all night, so that was fine, but he fixed the laundry room - _jeeze, they were Bruce's pjs, great._ The gym - Robin swallowed a little - it was hard to see, but ...

The carpet wasn't going to get any cleaner, so Wally got up and leaned over Robin, casually resting a hand on his shoulder. Robin jumped and quickly shut the camera footage window.

"Are we in the clear?" Wally asked.

"Yeah ..." Robin said wanly, distracted. "Er, no. Kind of. Not really."

He decided not to depress his friend with the very real possibility they would be kicked off the team or killed in their sleep. _It hadn't been a bad life._

Wally shifted awkwardly - again - behind him.

"... do you … do you remember stuff last night?" he asked. "I'm kind of … having a hard time."

This was true ... for the most part.

Robin sighed - again - and got up to sort things back into his belt.

"... not really," he whispered. This was also true ... more or less.

"... me neither."

Robin pursed his lips as he pulled his mask out from under his bed. The lenses in his mask had shattered at some point. He dug up a spare.

"Can I have it?" asked Wally quietly, gesturing to the broken mask.

Robin gave him a funny look but kind of smiled, too.

"Uh, yeah. Souvenir? ... I'm, uh, pretty sure you forgot to get one from the, uh … mission in the convenience store, right?"

"Nah, I probably just ate it," grinned Wally.

Robin's hand lingered a little in Wally's as he handed him the broken mask.

"I guess I better go." Wally said as he headed toward the far side of Robin's bed. Wally perched on the window. "I assume I go out this way like some kind of creeper, right?"

"Pfft." Robin reached out and put a hand on his friend's insignia. Wally's heart beat picked up.

Robin grinned and shoved. "Get out of here, idiot."

"Whooa!" Wally's arms pinwheeled back as he fell out the window, but the speedster caught himself and deftly navigated the branches of the tree outside.

"I'm ok!" He jumped up. "I'm ok!"

"I know," laughed Robin "Shh! Leave behind the bushes!"

Wally dashed out of the grounds and into the street. He turned and looked back at where he came from.

_Holy crap. ... is that Wayne Manor?_

He narrowly missed being run over by a bus.

* * *

As his friend blurred away - tripping only once as he followed the wall out of the yard - Robin turned back to the security console.

Robin altered the footage of the strange wind that ruffled the bushes as Wally zipped out this morning. It was probably better to make it ambiguous as to when the speedster left. He flipped back to the gym camera. Knitting his eyebrows and frowning, he rewound and erased it.

* * *

_ Next Up: Mount Justice!_


	19. Happy Birthday

_So this is the last "official" chapter of the story! __****__All of you who read, and in particular those who felt this merited a review: THANK YOU ... __I can't rant enough about how amazing this experience was._

* * *

_Recognized: Kid Flash B-03._

Wally clung to the wall of the transfer tube and peeked around the corner into the main room. Aqualad and Superboy played holo-hockey together: other than that, it was empty. Wally exhaled in relief and skulked toward the kitchen, where Artemis and M'gann leaned on the counter and chatted.

"Hi, Wally!" M'gann waved as the yellow speedster stepped into the living room.

Wally cocked his pointer finger and his thumb at M'gann and, more out of habit than anything, greeted her: "Hey there, suga -"

But it fell flat. Or, rather, this time, he could _feel _it fall flat, just like all the other times it fell flat, but he hadn't really noticed. It sounded so insincere, even though he totally _meant _to be sincere - _don't I?_ - and he definitely didn't mean to sound condescending but it _did_, and it made his teeth itch.

So he kind of trailed off, and it hung there in the air. Both Artemis and M'gann stared at him, waiting for a punchline or something.

"Uh. Can I have an orange juice?" he asked politely.

M'gann smiled and floated to the fridge. "No problem."

Artemis was still staring at him intently, and she narrowed her eyes. Wally narrowed his back at her and shook his head very slightly in a "what are you looking at" sort of way. She crossed her arms and smirked at him.

Wally curled his lip just a little, spun on his heel and walked toward the green couch, where he plopped down, propped his elbows on his knees, rubbed his throbbing temples, and stared blankly at the floor. _Huh_. The rug was white. He'd never noticed that before. He tensed as he heard Robin's bike pull up in the garage, but Aqualad crossed through the kitchen to intercept the raven-haired boy, and they started chatting in the back entrance way.

The night was coming back to Wally in fits and starts. So, Robin was Richard Grayson - _of The Flying Graysons?_ He frowned sadly. Wally was also fairly certain that, well, _Bruce Wayne _was _Batman_.

It made his palms sweat:_ That's probably an executable offense_. Something that should definitely be on the "not really remembered" list. Along with a lot of other things, probably.

He ran his hands to the back of his head, and one of his earcups wobbled. _What?_ He felt some threads patching it in place. _Who the hell had done that?_ Wally sure has hell couldn't sew, and it's not like any old needle and thread would patch the specially designed micro-lycra of his suit.

M'gann leaned over to catch his line of sight when she set down the orange juice and smiled at him. He looked up, overwhelmed and not sure what was going on in general, but he definitely wasn't in the mood to check out her boobs when she bent over as per usual, and that sort of made him feel uncomfortable.

"Thanks," he said, throat dry and cracky, but he didn't touch the orange juice.

The more he remembered the less sense everything made. And felt like he _especially _couldn't - _shouldn't?_ - clearly remember the things he _wanted _to the most, the things he liked the most, because even though maybe they felt the most real there was _no way _they could - _should?_ - be. And maybe it was all a really wonderful vivid dream that he shouldn't talk about or think about or even try to remember. And it really hurt his head. And it hurt in general.

As the mentors began to arrive, Artemis, M'gann, and Aqualad headed for the main room. Wally got up and idly grabbed a banana from the kitchen before strolling down the hall after them. The holo-display there jogged a memory.

_Hmm_. _Did I _phase through_ things last night?_ He pressed his hands against the corner of the wall just at the entrance to the large room. Absolutely nothing, and his nose hurt.

_I guess that part wasn't real._ He sighed, disappointed.

All mentors had arrived: J'onn, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Flash, Aquaman, and Batman. Everyone was starting to mill around the war room. It was an impressive - and extremely foreboding - roster. Wally's heart picked up a little: something was off.

_Why was _everyone _here?_

Batman flipped off the holo-display. _Why wasn't the holo-display on? How are we getting mission details? _Now he _really _didn't want to leave the relative safety of the hallway.

He heard Robin head toward the war room from the kitchen, and he stiffened.

_Ok ok, game face for real. _He leaned one hand casually on the very corner of the hall, munching on his banana.

"Oh, hey, Robs," he said as coolly as he could muster.

Robin's eyelids dropped halfway over his irises. "What are you doing over here? We're starting."

"Yeah, I'll get there du - agh!"

Robin elbowed Wally in the the ribs , and Wally's hand phased through the very edge of the hallway.

"Ow!" He said has he caught his balance. He turned toward Robin. "_Dude,_ don't be such a diii -oofus," he amended awkwardly.

A terrified expression crossed Robin's face for a millisecond, and even though Wally was staring at the ground, he could feel Batman narrow his eyes at him. Wally sheepishly followed Robin, and they took the two places on the very edge of the half circle. He looked at his hand.

_What was that? _His hand had been close enough to the corner that he could have just slipped. _I must have just slipped._

Wally kept shifting uncomfortably, inching farther along the half circle to get out of the range of the mentors' - Batman's - peripheral vision. Flash glanced over his shoulder at his nephew, brow wrinkled in concern, and maybe something more.

"Let's begin," Batman said.

"Do you have a mission for us?" inquired Aqualad.

"No. There will be no mission today. I brought you here today because Red Tornado made a disturbing discovery in the kitchen - an empty plastic bag containing trace amounts of the drug known as "pot" in the trash can."

Batman held up the small plastic Ziploc bag.

"Obviously, there is a zero tolerance policy for use of illicit drugs on this team. Will the owner of this bag please reveal his or herself?"

An awkward silence followed, and everyone on the team glanced around and shrugged at each other with confused looks. Batman frowned a little; he hadn't really expected only sincere confusion. Eventually, though, everyone _else's _gaze slowly slid in Wally's direction. When Wally picked up on it, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Why are you all looking at me?" he exclaimed. "I would _neve _- it probably wouldn't even _wor _- what about _her_?" he said, pointing at Artemis. "She's the shady one!"

Artemis narrowed her eyes.

Miss Martian shyly raised her hand. "Ah ... what's pot? I mean, that kinda looks like the bag of marijuana I bought in Massachusetts ... but …"

Everyone turned toward M'gann in shock, though only Robin caught the look of surprise that passed over Batman's face for a second.

"M'gann ... why did you buy marijuana?" J'onn asked evenly.

"Well, I was making Scooby Snacks, and it was an ingredient … and I heard it was good for you," M'gann began. "It's medicinal, isn't it?"

"Scooby Snacks?" Artemis snickered. No one else had heard of them.

"M'gann - what are Scooby Snacks?" asked Aquadlad.

"Oh, they're cookies!"

All of the blood drained from Robin and Wally's faces. All of it.

"But I accidentally left them baking while I went shopping - _Hello M'gann_ - and so they probably got burnt. They were gone when I got home, so I figured someone threw them away …"

This time, Robin _didn't_ notice the look of surprise that passed over Batman's features. He was busy being traumatized. The detective _also _hadn't really expected the looks of open, honest, abject horror on Wally and Robin's faces. He raised an eyebrow beneath the cowl.

Batman cleared his throat. "... how many cookies did you make?"

"I made 16! It's too bad they went to waste …" she trailed off.

"And they were all gone when you got home?

"Yeah. I'm lucky I didn't burn the place down, haha."

"... and how much marijuana was in that bag?

"Well, the man said that an ounce was standard purchase..."

"…" Batman paused. "... and you used all of it?"

"Well, it was a little more than the recipe called for, but since it was a healthful herb, like the man said, I figured a little extra couldn't hurt …"

Wally was now bright red, and Robin looked green.

Like Christmas.

Batman considered the two flustered boys, who were shaking just slightly and staring at the floor in shock. He didn't ask who cleaned up the cookies.

"Well …" he began, "This is a very serious offense. Marijuana can be a very dangerous drug and careless use can put the team and … _lives _at risk."

Wally and Robin swallowed nervously.

"However," he continued, "misunderstandings happen. We're lucky that no ... irreparable damage was done. J'onn, when we conclude, could you please educate M'gann about the intricacies of marijuana and its use? M'gann, ask about any other unfamiliar ingredients before adding them to snacks in the future."

Batman glanced sternly at the far end of the half-circle, where Aqualad stood. "Sometimes our judgment gets clouded through - no fault of our own."

Certainly no one in the Justice League had been immune to the occasional mind control problems that came up in this line of work.

"However, it is important to stay on our guard," Batman's eyes swept across the rest of the team, "because laws and _rules _are in place to protect ourselves …"

His eyes rested on Robin, who was still pale, and then slid over to Wally.

"... and those closest to us."

Flash coughed, and Wally found the ceiling corner on the opposite side of the room absolutely fascinating.

"Our meeting is adjourned. As I said, there will be no mission today. Please use the time to … recuperate."

Everyone broke away and headed back to whatever they'd been doing before, but Wally and Robin didn't move an inch. Flash and Batman conferred for a moment, and, glancing over at the two stressed-out boys, ultimately headed straight for the transfer tubes. Flash waved goodbye to Wally as Batman nodded farewell to the two of them. Robin just stood frozen in place, but Wally waved weakly, avoiding eye contact with Batman. His heartbeat fluctuated irregularly.

Superboy cocked his head. "What's the matter with Kid Flash's heart?"

Flash clapped the Kryptonian on the shoulder and smiled grimly. "Don't worry, it's nothing he can't handle."

Batman, already half-way to the transfer, growled behind him: "He better hope so."

It took all Wally had to keep from passing out on the floor.

* * *

Wally found Robin sitting on the floor behind one of the green couches in the empty TV room. His chin rested on his knees, which were tucked up to his chest, and he punched at his wrist computer. Wally glimpsed a note from Bruce on the display.

_See you at La Chatelaine for reservations at six. Happy Birthday, Dick._

Robin instinctively shut down the window as Wally appeared, but his finger paused over the close button as he sat down next to him. Robin made a little half-smile and pulled the email back up.

_See you then,_ he responded.

"Soooo ... pretty much the reason I'm alive is that it's your birthday, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe." Robin shut down his computer and grinned.

Wally let one leg sprawl out on the wooden floor in front of him and bent the one near Robin, resting an arm on that knee. He puffed out his cheeks and exhaled slowly. Robin sighed.

"Drugs, huh?" Wally coughed. "Crazy."

"... No wonder I can't remember much of anything," he stumbled over the words.

"Much? So what _do_ you remember?"

"Urhm," Wally stalled. "I dunno. What do _you_ remember?"

Robin frowned, grasping for a totally safe memory. "We went to the beach, right?"

"Yeah!" Wally said. "I think you ripped this off."

He gestured to the ear cup, which was starting to fall apart again.

"Heh …"

"And uhm … you attacked me with an exploding batarang? And we were maybe on the subway?"

Robin wrinkled his nose in honest disbelief. "Really?"

"And I remember," Wally hesitated, because there was no way this was real, "a giant penny?"

Robin's mouth dropped open, and he put a finger to Wally's lips. He glanced frantically around to see if anyone was in hearing distance.

"Wally. _Of all the things you don't remember, you especially don't remember that. _Understand_?"_ Robin said with a tremble in his voice.

"Uh, ok. Yeah." Wally uncrossed his eyes that were looking at Robin's finger on his face and glanced at Robin. "...That's about it, I guess. You?"

As Robin sat back against the couch, one of his knees knocked against Wally's. He let it stay there, and Wally didn't move away.

"It's hard to tell what was real, and what was … er, probably just a dream … right?" Robin said. He laughed, but it sounded a little flat and forced.

"... right."

They sat in silence for a few moments, blinking at the oak floor. Finally, Robin cleared his throat.

"Do you want to go play _Wii Sports_ or something?" he asked, struggling to rebuild a sense of normalcy. "I have to show you how I hooked it up to the holo-display!"

Wally felt like something was slipping through his fingers. After a while, he nodded, letting it go.

"... ok, sweet. Show me."

As Robin started to get up, Wally grabbed the wrist of his leather black glove and smiled shyly. Robin looked back at him and paused.

"I'm glad you were born today, Dick," he said softly.

Robin's black bangs flopped into his eyes as he tilted his head back and grinned at his very best friend.

"Me too."

-END-


	20. Outerlude: La Chatelaine

_A very short interlude to the last epilogue. ;) No slash at all. As always, all your kind words, and all your feedback are so, so, so encouraging. Thank you. :)_

_EDIT: Actually, I'm not sure you can have an interlude after the end of story and the real end in the epilogue. It's more of an **outerlude**. I think Robin would be proud. Changing the title now._

_Thank you to Val-Creative for the musical recommendation! ;D_

* * *

_La Chatelaine, that evening:_

Dick made his way to Bruce's table in the back of the elegant French restaurant. Patrons dressed in silks and diamonds spoke discreetly to each other about business and art. Candlelight flickered over the cream tablecloths, and soft yellow lamplight illuminated the olive green walls and cherry woodwork.

The head waiter politely pulled out Dick's green satin chair, and he sat across from his mentor and, well, father.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Little warm for a turtleneck, isn't it? Is that new?"

Dick laughed nervously, fiddling with the light-knit mock turtleneck sweater. The dark blue was a lovely complement to his eyes.

"Uh … I like it. A present … to myself." He made himself busy with a sip of water.

"Mmm. I'm sure." Bruce leaned back in his chair. "I hope you don't mind that I ordered the quail."

Dick brightened. "Awesome."

Bruce fiddled with his wine glass. "So, presents first. Then Wally. Then dinner."

Down to business. Dick pulled apart a roll anxiously while Bruce produced a white envelope with Dick's name on it from his jacket pocket. He put it on the table and smiled.

"Actually," Dick said. "It's ok."

He pushed the envelope back toward Bruce and looked him in the eye.

"You gave me a friend today. A real one, who knows my name and about my past. That will last a couple of years."

A strange, soft expression crossed Bruce's face and flickered away. He raised his eyebrows again.

"Wally first, I see."

Dick nodded.

Bruce shifted in his seat. "We'll have to lay some ground rules, you know."

Dick fiddled with his silverware.

"No one can know he knows. For his safety as well as yours," Bruce said firmly.

"... sure."

"So, he can't come to the house. You still shouldn't take off your glasses around him." Bruce sighed. "And obviously, no using your real name. It's very necessary that he act like he doesn't know. … Anything. At all. About our family."

Dick closed his eyes. "Ok."

Bruce frowned into his Merlot.

"Is there anything else that you want to tell me about last night?" he asked gently.

Dick stared at his water glass for a second, quietly tapping the silver fork against its base. A drop of condensation flowed onto the tablecloth below it.

"... no. We … don't remember much."

"That's probably for the best."

Bruce leaves a _...For now, at least_ unsaid.

"So, basically, nothing changes," sighed Dick. He tipped his head back against the high back of the satin chair with gold tassels and listened for a moment to the quiet murmurs around him.

"No." Bruce took a sip of his Merlot as he regarded Dick's resigned expression.

This time, he leaves an _I'm sorry_ unsaid.

"But you'll both know," he continued. "That can make a big difference."

"... we both know," Dick said to himself, experimentally.

The corner of Bruce's mouth twitched into a smile, and he pushed the envelope back in Dick's direction. "Enjoy your two backstage passes to The Ready Set this weekend."

Dick grinned.

* * *

_Also I just want to let you know that on Earth-16 the Ready Set is as big as like, THE ROLLING STONES. YEAH. /haha (I guess they're a much smaller band than I thought?)_


	21. Epilogue: Fire

_**Authors Notes: This is the end!**_

___If you're interested in downloading the story as a whole, I am going to go through and do a complete edit, checking spelling, modifying author's notes, and maybe adding a few details. I edit _a lot, _and if _ _I come up with a new image or whatever, I usually put it in. Nothing big, though. :) I'll post an update at the top of this chapter when I'm done, and feel free to PM me if you'd like me to write you _ _and let you know. I don't mind at all._

* * *

_Twenty-Two Months Later (Present Day):_

Everyone is flat on the ground, below the smoke, but still half of the team is mostly unconscious from oxygen deprivation. Flames lick at the boxes on the other side of the warehouse. Right now the fire only burns crates of furniture and books and engine parts, but Robin knows - _everyone knows_ - that on this side of the building - _the side they're all tied up and trapped in_ - is full of boxes of gunpowder. The flames crawl closer, and it's only a matter of time. Robin struggles not to pass out, and he figures they have about two, maybe three, minutes. He futilely rattles the hand and leg-cuffs on him one more time.

His last lock pick breaks. _Fuck_.

A few feet away to his right, Superboy is out cold, shackled in kryptonite cuffs, care of Luthor Corp., and Kaldur and Miss Martian are wilting in the oppressive heat. In front of him, Artemis still struggles against her bonds, but she falls limp more and more frequently, face to the ground. And to his left, Wally - Wally's eyes are shut tight, and he's buzzing so hard Robin can barely make out his outline, and his nose is bleeding profusely because he can't vibrate his way out of the thick handcuffs.

Robin zones out for a second, light-headed. _Wally doesn't remember_. And Robin really believes it now because so much time has passed, and he never let slip if he did, and because here they are and they're stuck. Even so, he sort of inch-worms over to his prone friend struggling on his side. He's kind of their last hope.

"Wally," he whispers. His throat is sore and his voice cracks. "Wally, you can do this."

Wally opens his eyes, gasping and looking incredibly sad. He nods a little, but he doesn't say anything and buzzes harder.

"No, no," rasps Robin. "Don't try so hard."

"I don't think I _can _do this, Robin." His voice tremors with panic. His eyes close in exhaustion, and his head falls to the rapidly warming floor.

The flames behind him illuminate his ear, then a smattering of freckles on his cheek, and then the fire lights a halo around the edge of his ginger hair. The light distorts and curls around his face as Wally vibrates again, temple pressed against the concrete. Robin closes his eyes, trying to memorize what could be his last precious moment with his friend.

"You have to kind of … look at it sideways. Distract yourself. Think … think of something nice. … whatever that is for you now."

Wally's eyes pop open and and his lips part, just a little, as a strange look of … _surprise? anger? disappointment? ..._ crosses his face.

"You …" Wally murmured, lifting his head to stare at Robin. "You said you didn't remember."

Robin isn't sure if Wally's furious or about to cry. Or both.

"... I lied. So did you."

Wally lets his head fall down his shoulder and to the concrete. His hair has grown longer. Wet and sticky in the heat, it flops over one bright green eye that sparkles in the firelight. He's staring down at the sliver of grey concrete that separates them.

"... Yeah."

He squeezes his eyes tight shut and knocks his temple against the floor again in frustration. Sweat drips down his forehead to his eye and cheek, clearing a path through the soot that's smeared over his face. (_Too young, too awkward) _

"Wally, you _can _do this." (_Too many consequences)_

Wally's vibrating all over, face twisted in pain, squirming and _willing _his wrists to obey, to pass through the agony. Robin glances around at his half-conscious teammates. He briefly makes eye contact with Artemis, who is panting and blearily watching Robin pep-talk Wally. Her eyes narrow a little. He swallows and inches closer, propping himself up so that he can whisper in Wally's ear.

"Shhhh," he says to calm his anxious friend. "Look, we don't have much time, and I either see you tomorrow or I don't, so listen to me." _(Too much to risk)_

Wally nods. His eyes start to water - from the smoke, of course. (_Too scared)_

"I couldn't risk losing you completely one day, and I'm not sorry because I _couldn't_." Robin's voice hitches, the only sign that he's upset at all.

"... Yeah," Wally croaks. _(Too embarrassed)_

"It was the right choice. …All of it. I … really believe that." He sounds like maybe he doesn't. The water dripping down Robin's face is probably just sweat.

_(Too much at stake, too overwhelming, too much, too much)_

And they _were _- their friendship _was - _protected behind the comfortable lie of "I don't remember." They stumbled into it together, one awkward denial at a time. It was just easier this way. They avoided issues with their ages, really complicated Bat-rules altogether, and any weird moments could be easily smoothed over using the lie - with a joke or pure professionalism.

In a way, the lie actually brought them _closer_. It was another secret they shared with each other, even if they didn't know it or wouldn't - _couldn't _- admit it. The lie made them safe: it let them _pretend _that the longer lasting hugs, the occasional shoulder massage, or a little extra time sliding off after a piggyback ride didn't _mean_ anything. It just happened, right? The lie just kept everything less awkward, less complicated, and less dangerous - without totally erasing the truth.

But almost two years is a long time when you're young, and eventually they began to move on - to Artemis, to whomever - because they couldn't move forward. By the time Robin's next birthday rolled around, they couldn't even acknowledge it to protect Dick's identity.

Wally wanted to do something special, maybe give Robin a spaghetti dinner or … or a cupcake, or _something_, but he didn't because he _couldn't_. He didn't think he was allowed, not just by Batman, but by the lie itself. To break the lie now was playing with fire. Robin said nothing; Wally said nothing, and maybe that made the lie seem a little more real to both of them. Or maybe just that the lie didn't matter anymore, because what difference did it make?

But Wally often regretted overlooking his best friend's birthday - especially for the last ten minutes on the floor of this warehouse.

Robin inches even closer and rests his cheek, warm from the fire but also maybe something else, on Wally's face so that his lips are almost directly above Wally's ear. Wally is scared and roasting, but Robin is calm, composed, and his relatively cool breath across Wally's cheek is welcome relief.

"I still think about it wh - I still think about it a lot." Robin's words are bittersweet, and Wally's stomach flips. He nods, the concrete rough against the side of his head and mussing his red hair. That night invades his dreams, but he can't choke out a "me, too."

He tries again, vibrating harder, which hurts even more because now his chest and throat are tight, and his pulse pounds at his temple, and he's tingling where Robin's face rests against his own. Maybe Robin's making this worse. Not that it makes a _difference_.

He briefly wishes he could see the crystal blue eyes he hasn't seen in almost two years.

Part of Wally is afraid, afraid not just of the death that's coming with the fire, but afraid that Robin is _just saying this_, that he doesn't really _mean _it. It's been _two years_, so he _must _be saying it so they can get out of here - and that's fine, of course, because maybe it would help, right? It could save their lives. In a last ditch effort, out of _desperation_.

"Wally." Wally can barely make out this whisper, and Robin hesitates, like -

"I carry that frosting around in my belt."

"... what?"

"In one of those tiny tupperwares, you know, for dressing on salads? I make a new batch every so often - because -"

He stops again and revises so that the moment's not too awkward. "- in case we need it."

Wally blinks rapidly and exhales. He hadn't even noticed he'd been holding his breath. Robin lets his head fall back to the concrete and smiles.

"It's in my belt now. Do you want it?"

This time, when a strange look crosses Wally's face, Robin isn't sure if Wally wants to _laugh _or cry. Or both. "... yeah."

"Perfect."

Wally closes his eyes and takes a deep, slow, relaxed breath, and Robin catches it on his lips, warm and soft and wet in the heat.

They probably don't have time for this: they _definitely_ don't have time for this, but when he slips his tongue in-between Wally's teeth, he's dizzy like he hasn't been in almost two years, and goosebumps spread down his arms, and he shivers in spite of the fire. Light, relieved - and no more lie.

Robin breaks away, and he thinks that he hears the clink of Wally's cuffs falling to the ground. Just to be on the safe side, though, he closes his eyes, smiles, and whispers into Wally's ear:

"Get out of those cuffs and come get some."

* * *

And later, in the safety of the bioship, when Robin smiles subtly and tosses Wally the tiny translucent yellow tupperware, the two little fingerfuls of red frosting inside are the most delicious thing he's ever had in his life.

**-END-**


End file.
